Slovakia and Austria have emerged as the main obstacles preventing a new round of European Union sanctions against Russia, ahead of next week’s EU summit. Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico has again invoked his veto power, effectively blocking the proposed package. The sanctions, under discussion for nearly a month, target Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil infrastructure, the so-called “shadow fleet,” cryptocurrency platforms, and the movements of Russian diplomats across the 27-member bloc.
Diplomats have confirmed that technical and legal details of the restrictions have been finalised, leaving only a final vote pending. On Wednesday, EU ambassadors convened in Brussels to seek agreement, when Slovakia reaffirmed its intention to block the measures. Fico, following a phone call with European Council President António Costa, expressed “astonishment” that the summit will again focus heavily on Ukraine, a recurring theme at EU meetings.
Fico argued that Slovakia will not support new sanctions until the summit’s conclusions provide concrete political instructions for the European Commission on addressing high energy prices and the crisis in the automotive industry, which he says threaten the EU’s economic competitiveness. He criticised draft conclusions that devote extensive sections to Ukraine while only addressing energy costs and traditional industries, like automotive, in vague terms.
Slovakia plans to present “substantially more concrete proposals” regarding energy and automotive issues at the summit on 23 October, aiming to secure detailed EU measures to strengthen economic competitiveness alongside sanctioning Russia. Austria’s position similarly complicates consensus, leaving EU leaders facing a potential clash over balancing geopolitical pressure on Russia with domestic economic concerns. The dispute highlights the difficulty in aligning EU member states on sanctions policy amid diverging national priorities.
This standoff underscores the EU’s ongoing challenge in maintaining unity while addressing both security concerns in Ukraine and economic pressures at home.
via Euronews
