This was stated by the Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico on July 12, reports Reuters.
Slovakia intends to reach an agreement with the European Commission and EU partners by July 15 to ensure its energy security amid plans to halt imports of Russian gas. Without such guarantees, the country’s government is blocking a new package of sanctions against Russia. This was announced on July 12 by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, according to Reuters.
The head of government noted that Bratislava seeks political commitments from the European Commission and EU partners that would guarantee Slovakia will not suffer from the cessation of Russian gas supplies.
“We need to gain something in this struggle, although it won’t be a hundred percent result. We want political commitments, guarantees from partners and the Commission that this issue will not fall solely on Slovakia’s shoulders.”
– Robert Fico
One of the main topics of the negotiations is the issue of limiting transit fees that Slovakia will have to pay for alternative gas supply routes not connected to Russia.
Currently, most of the gas consumed by Slovakia comes from the Russian company Gazprom under a long-term contract valid until 2034, amounting to approximately 3.5 billion cubic meters of gas annually.
After the transit of Russian gas through Ukraine ends at the end of 2024, Slovakia began receiving part of its supplies via Turkey and Hungary.
To approve the European Commission’s proposal to stop importing Russian gas, a majority vote in the EU Council is sufficient; however, sanctions against Russia require unanimity. That is why Slovakia has linked these two issues and is currently blocking the new sanctions package until it receives guarantees protecting its energy interests.
On July 10, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz appealed to the Slovak Prime Minister to lift the blockade on adopting the next EU sanctions package against Russia.
“The German government should be interested in ensuring that Slovakia has enough gas at an affordable price after the cessation of Russian gas supplies to the European Union from January 1, 2028, and therefore, instead of sharp statements, Germany could help resolve this issue.”
– Robert Fico
It was planned to lower the price cap on Russian oil products from $60 to $45 per barrel, but after the US and G7 countries refused to support this new ceiling, some EU member states, including Greece, Cyprus, and Malta, began to question the feasibility of such a decision.
Main Provisions of the EU’s 18th Sanctions Package Against Russia
In June 2025, the European Commission presented the 18th sanctions package, which introduces new restrictions on Russia’s energy and banking sectors. The sanctions also cover transactions related to the Nord Stream project.
In the energy sector, all transactions related to Nord Stream 1 and 2 are prohibited: no EU operator may conduct direct or indirect deals through these pipelines.
The price cap on oil products has been lowered from $60 to $45 per barrel to make it harder for Russia to generate revenue.
Seventy-seven tankers that transported oil illegally have been added to the sanctions list, and the import of oil products made from Russian oil has been banned to prevent sanctions evasion through third countries.
In the financial sector, SWIFT restrictions have been transformed into a complete ban on transactions for 22 Russian banks and third-country operators that help circumvent sanctions.
Sanctions have also been imposed on the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and its subsidiaries.