Slovakia aims to reach deal with EU on ending Russian gas supplies by Tuesday, Fico says

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Slovakia is seeking to reach a deal with European partners involving Russian gas supplies by Tuesday in order to approve a new package of EU sanctions on Russia, Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Saturday.

He told journalists in Bratislava he wants "to resolve this by Tuesday because tensions are rising on all sides."

So far, Slovakia has maintained its veto on the 18th sanctions package to be implemented in response to Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Bratislava has blocked the package over concerns over a proposed phase-out of all Russian fossil fuels by 2028, fearing it could damage the country's economic interests.

Slovakia gets most of its gas from Russia and holds a long-term contract with Russia's Gazprom that runs through 2034. Fico wants legal guarantees should Gazprom claim a potential breach of contract.

"We need to win something in this fight, though it will not be a 100-0 result," Fico added on Saturday, according to Reuters.

He noted that he had spoken with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz about the issue, emphasising that a Slovakia would lift its veto if a deal is reached on the gas ban.

The latest sanctions package, unveiled on Tuesday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and High Representative Kaja Kallas, blacklists an additional 22 Russian banks and extends the ban on transactions to entities based outside the country that contribute to the circumvention of sanctions. The Russian Direct Investment Fund, a sovereign wealth fund with an estimated capital of $10 billion (€8.75 billion), is targeted.

It also features a ban on the direct or indirect use of the Nord Stream pipelines that connect Russia and Germany. The underwater pipelines are today non-operational, and Berlin has ruled out the prospect of restarting gas transit after the war ends.