Slovakia will not support the upcoming 18th package of sanctions against Russia unless the European Commission presents a realistic solution to the energy crisis the country will face after a possible complete cessation of supplies of Russian gas, oil and nuclear fuel. This was stated by Prime Minister Robert Fico in a post on social networks, quoted by the Slovak agency TASR, quoted by BTA.
Last night, the European Commission officially presented the 18th package of sanctions against Russia, aimed at limiting its revenues from the energy and military industries. The new proposals include lowering the ceiling for Russian oil prices, as well as a ban on trade with companies operating the "Nord Stream-1" gas pipelines and "Nord Stream-2", as well as with banks involved in circumventing existing sanctions.
EU member states are expected to start discussions on the package this week. Its adoption requires full unanimity among all EU countries.
Prime Minister Fico warned that Slovakia could not afford to suffer serious energy consequences without EU support. He urged Brussels to propose a concrete mechanism to compensate for possible damage if the country loses access to key Russian energy sources.