The European Council failed to reach consensus on the 18th round of sanctions against Russia, which was to be introduced in response to its full-scale war against Ukraine. However, EU leaders reached a political agreement to extend sanctions against Russia for another six months.
EU fails to adopt 18th package of sanctions against Russia
As Radio Liberty editor Rikard Jozwiak reported, citing sources, the leaders agreed to extend all sanctions against Russia for another six months.
— The leaders have not reached an agreement on the latest package of sanctions, the 18th. Slovakia has not yet given the green light. Discussions are likely to resume between the ambassadors in the coming days, the journalist wrote.
The conclusions on Ukraine, which were adopted following the meeting of the European Council at the level of heads of state and government, indicate that the European Union, together with its partners, intends to limit Russia's ability to continue waging its aggressive war.
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Sanctions are an integral part of the EU's policy to achieve this common objective. The European Council welcomes the adoption of the 17th package of sanctions, which targets in particular Russia's energy and financial sectors, including the shadow fleet of oil tankers and their operators.
— The European Council calls for further action against the Russian shadow fleet, which is used by Russia to circumvent sanctions and poses significant environmental and security risks. In this context, it calls on the Council to quickly adopt a new package of sanctions. It also stresses the importance of further strengthening anti-circumvention measures, — the document says.
The EU leaders stressed that, under EU law, all frozen Russian assets must remain immobilized until “Russia ends its war of aggression against Ukraine and compensates it for the damage caused by this war.”
Slovakia blocks new EU sanctions against Russia
Slovakia opposes the adoption of a new EU sanctions package aimed at Moscow until its reservations regarding energy security are taken into account, Bloomberg writes.
Slovakia's landlocked prime minister, Robert Fico, remains heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies, is demanding that the European Commission provide guarantees to help minimise the economic impact.
“We want to know what guarantees we will get, what support and what options will be available,” Fico said ahead of the EU leaders' summit in Brussels on Thursday.
Fico met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during the event, calling the talks constructive. However, he reiterated his categorical position: Slovakia will demand that the vote on the EU sanctions package against Russia be postponed on Friday until the gas supply issues are resolved.
“If our proposal to postpone the vote is not taken into account, the Slovak ambassador will receive clear instructions to veto the adoption of the 18th sanctions package,” Fico wrote on Facebook.
Slovakia fears rising energy prices
The EU aims to completely stop importing Russian pipeline and liquefied natural gas by the end of 2027 in a bid to end its energy dependence on Moscow.
Slovakia strongly opposes the plan, warning that its implementation could lead to higher energy prices and a decrease in the competitiveness of national industry.
Any sanctions measures would require unanimous support from all 27 EU member states. Prime Minister Fico and his ally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, have repeatedly threatened to block EU decisions on sanctions against Russia and aid to Ukraine, although their objections have been overturned in most cases.
Robert Fico, who has visited Moscow twice in recent months, has come under criticism from other European leaders for his efforts to mend fences with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
With transit through neighboring Ukraine halted, Russian gas now accounts for less than half of Slovakia's total imports. The country is working hard to diversify its supply sources and currently receives Russian gas via the southern route through the Turkish Stream pipeline and Hungary.
Fico also demands compensation from the EU in case the interruption of Russian gas supplies leads to a sharp rise in prices.
He also said Slovakia faces significantly higher costs when purchasing gas through LNG terminals and transporting it across Europe, a price he says he is not prepared to pay for the European Commission’s “ideological and harmful” idea.
Bratislava is also pushing for legal guarantees in case sanctions trigger arbitration with Gazprom. Slovakia’s state gas company SPP has a long-term contract with the Russian energy giant that runs until 2034, with a total value of up to €16-20 billion (equivalent to $18.7-23.4 billion).
Fico warned that if the EU imposes a ban on Russian gas, Slovakia could lose the case, as the force majeure argument is unlikely to be accepted.
