Slovakia Stalls EUs 18th Sanctions Initiative Against Russia Over Gas Dependency Concerns

During a meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, EU foreign ministers were unable to reach a consensus on a new batch of sanctions against Russia, as reported by Reuters.

Kaja Kallas, the chief diplomat of Europe, expressed optimism that the 18th set of sanctions aimed at Moscow might gain approval the following day, noting that the outcome now hinges on Slovakia’s stance.

Slovakia has not yet backed the proposed sanctions, as it seeks specific guarantees related to the EU’s plan to phase out imports of Russian gas by January 1, 2028.

The country is reliant on Russian gas imports and benefits financially from transit fees for gas passing through its territory.

The new measures introduced by the European Commission include prohibiting transactions involving the Russian Nord Stream gas pipelines and banks thought to be assisting Russia in evading earlier sanctions.

European diplomats have suggested that officials are also contemplating a floating price cap on Russian oil, potentially set at 15% below the average market price from the past three months.

A letter from the European Commission, seen by Reuters, indicated that they had acknowledged Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s concerns and assured that authorities could guarantee against fuel shortages when the proposed deadline for ending Russian gas imports comes into effect in 2028.

Reporting by AFP contributed to this article.