EU nation seeking guarantees in fight over Russian gas – PM

Slovakia has made finding a solution for its energy security a condition for approving the bloc’s latest sanctions package

Slovakia hopes to secure guarantees by early next week to protect it from the impact of a planned EU-mandated halt in Russian gas imports, according to Prime Minister Robert Fico, as cited by Bloomberg. Slovakia has made receiving such guarantees a condition for supporting the EU’s latest sanctions package against Moscow.

The European Commission last month unveiled a plan that aims to phase out all Russian energy imports by 2027. The proposal, which is opposed by Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, and reportedly Italy, is expected to be introduced as trade legislation, thus allowing Brussels to bypass any vetoes and adopt it by majority vote.

“We want to resolve this by Tuesday because tensions are rising on all sides,” Fico told reporters on Saturday, reiterating that Bratislava would continue blocking the approval of sanctions if it does not receive the necessary guarantees.

Slovakia argues that the plan, called RePowerEU, could lead to shortages, rising prices and transit fees, as well as to potential damage claims from Russian energy giant Gazprom.

Earlier this week, Fico characterized the proposed plan as “ideological” and demanded “clear guarantees, not political promises” about Slovakia’s energy security and the affordability of supplies. 

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has urged Fico to abandon his opposition to the sanctions package. The Slovak leader vowed to support the measures “even though it will not change anything regarding the military superiority or economic performance of Russia” but only if an agreement about gas supplies is reached.

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Though Russian gas supplies have not been directly banned under previous rounds of EU sanctions, most member states have voluntarily reduced imports. However, several landlocked countries – including Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic – continue to rely on limited volumes through various exemptions.

Last month, the European Commission unveiled a proposed 18th sanctions package, targeting Russian energy exports, infrastructure, and financial institutions. The measures include a ban on future use of the sabotaged Nord Stream pipeline, restrictions on refined products made from Russian crude, and sanctions on 77 vessels allegedly part of Russia’s so-called “shadow fleet,” used to circumvent oil trade restrictions.

Moscow has condemned the Western sanctions as illegal and counterproductive, particularly those targeting energy, noting that EU energy prices surged after the initial sanctions were introduced in early 2022. Russian officials claim that rejecting Russian energy has forced the bloc to rely on more expensive imports or rerouted supplies via intermediaries, undermining Europe’s economic competitiveness.