EU again fails to approve new sanctions on Russia

The European Union has failed for a second day to approve a fresh sanctions package against Russia, with Slovakia holding out over concerns tied to the bloc’s Russian gas phase-out plan.

The European Union was unable to reach agreement on its 18th package of sanctions against Russia for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, as Slovakia continued to demand stronger guarantees regarding its future gas supply, EU diplomats told Reuters.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government vetoed the sanctions during a meeting of EU ambassadors, insisting the country needed clearer protections before supporting the broader measures. According to diplomats familiar with the negotiations, Malta also voiced objections.

While Slovakia cannot veto the EU’s separate plan to end Russian gas imports by the end of 2027, which only requires a reinforced majority of support, sanctions packages must be approved unanimously. Bratislava is now linking its consent to the sanctions with assurances that it will not face energy shortages or financial repercussions.

"We consider this [Russian energy phase-out] proposal to be a sanction and therefore naturally link it to the proposal for the... package of sanctions," Fico wrote in a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, published by his office on Wednesday.

He added that Slovakia expects a vote on the sanctions only once the "substantial risks" regarding gas supplies from 2028 onwards are addressed.

Slovakia remains reliant on Russian energy and has frequently adopted a more cautious stance on Ukraine-related matters. Officials in Bratislava warn that exiting Russian gas could lead to shortages, higher energy prices and transit costs, as well as possible legal disputes with Gazprom, Russia’s state-owned energy company.

Fico said the most viable path forward would be an exemption from the EU’s Russian energy phase-out plan, allowing Slovakia to honour its gas contract with Gazprom, which extends to 2034.

The European Commission attempted to ease Slovakia’s concerns in a letter sent Tuesday, but Fico responded that further talks were necessary to clarify what specific commitments the EU executive body would be willing to make.

The sanctions package, once adopted, would be the EU’s 18th set of measures aimed at penalising Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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