Why Fico targets Russia sanctions – and whether Slovakia faces an EU "nuclear strike" in return
Slovakia has blocked the 18th package of sanctions against Russia at the last minute. At a meeting of the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels, the EU took Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico hostage – and this after a two-month diplomatic struggle.
"The Slovaks have not yet received sufficient guarantees regarding the European Commission's proposal to force them to abandon Russian energy supplies," said Foreign Minister Peter Sijjarto at a briefing after the meeting.
Fico is furious about RepowerEU, the European Commission's proposal to completely cut off from Russian gas from 2028. He argues that Slovakia will be the most affected country in Europe – although there is no evidence of this.
The real reason for Fico's behavior is not the "energy concerns" that Fico is trying to impose on the Slovaks, according to LIGA.net representatives of the Slovak opposition. Moreover, they have never seen any contracts with Gazprom.
From this text you will learn:
how the myth of "cheap Russian gas" disrupted new sanctions against Russia;
how and why the decision the EU was counting on was thwarted at the last minute;
whether Fico's position could lead to the use of so-called "nuclear weapons" against Slovakia, which would deprive the offending country of its right to vote in the EU Council.
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