Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, criticising the EU’s plan to phase out Russian gas by 1 January 2028 under the REPowerEU strategy and urging a delay in voting on the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia.

Slovakia will stop blocking the approval of the 18th package of European Union sanctions against Russia on Friday, Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico stated he is ending his country’s blocking of the EU’s latest 18 sanctions package against Russia, after claiming he has secured energy guarantees for Slovakia in connection with the EU phase-out of Russian fossil fuel imports.