Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is demanding that certain conditions be met before he agrees to the new sanctions package against Russia. If not met, he has promised to veto it.
On Tuesday, amongst its numerous new proposals in its latest sanctions package, the European Commission is lowering the price cap on Russian oil exports from $60 to $45 per barrel to put an even bigger dent in Russia’s revenues, and thus the money it has to spend on its war in Ukraine.
“In May alone, Russia’s state wealth fund fell by $6 billion, from $42 billion to $36 billion. And it could run out of money next year,” Kaja Kallas, the EU high representative for foreign affairs, said.
During his speech at CPAC Hungary in late May, Fico reiterated his government’s refusal to send military aid to Ukraine, criticizing the European Commission’s strategy of isolating Russia as economically self-defeating and geopolitically reckless.
“If they have no realistic response to the war in Ukraine today… they cannot continue in their nervousness by suppressing the sovereignty of individual member states on legitimate issues.”
“The Slovak Republic will not support the prepared 18th sanctions package against the Russian Federation unless the European Commission provides it with a real solution to the crisis situation that Slovakia will find itself in after the complete cessation of gas, oil and nuclear fuel supplies from Russia,” Fico wrote on social media, according to Nový čas.
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