Slovakia ready to support Russia sanctions, but demands guarantees
Slovakia signals support for new Russia sanctions, but only if Brussels offers guarantees on energy security and €20B in potential arbitration risks.
Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár expressed willingness to support the EU's proposed 18th sanctions package against Russia just hours after his Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó, claimed that both Hungary and Slovakia were opposing it.
On Monday evening, Blanár stated that the Slovak government evaluates each sanctions package based on whether it could harm the national economy.
“Negotiations are still ongoing,” Blanár said after an EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, “but based on what’s been discussed so far, it’s clear the package won’t negatively impact Slovakia’s economy, and we’re ready to support it”.
However, he added that Slovakia would request “guarantees” and support to mitigate the consequences of disconnecting from Russian energy sources.
“There are also arbitration risks that will affect the Slovak Republic – possibly amounting to as much as €20 billion,” he said. “That’s why we are demanding guarantees on how these negative effects will be addressed.”
Blanár insisted that for Slovakia, it is politically crucial that the discussion on the sanctions package be moved to the European Council and linked to the RePowerEU proposal.
Both he and Prime Minister Robert Fico are therefore seeking a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose country will preside over discussions on the RePowerEU initiative.
Earlier on Monday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjártó said that Hungary and Slovakia were opposing the EU’s proposed sanctions package due to concerns over energy security and objections to Brussels’ efforts to ban Russian gas and oil imports.
Diplomatic sources cited by the ČTK news agency said there is still hope the objections from both countries can be resolved.
Slovakia has never vetoed or blocked any sanctions against Russia, despite threatening to do so on several occasions.