The European Union (EU) failed today, for the second day in a row, to approve a new package of sanctions against Russia, while Slovakia continued to seek concessions on gas supplies, four EU diplomats told Reuters.
Slovakia vetoed the approval of the sanctions during a meeting of EU ambassadors, diplomats familiar with the discussions said. Two diplomats said Malta also objected.
The Slovak government has said it will not approve sanctions before the country receives additional guarantees that it will not be harmed by a separate EU plan to phase out Russian gas by the end of 2027.
These phase-out plans need to be approved by a qualified majority of EU countries, meaning Slovakia cannot veto them on its own. However, sanctions require unanimity.
"We consider this (phasing out Russian energy imports) proposal a sanction and therefore naturally link it to the proposal for a... sanctions package. We therefore expect that the vote on the 18th package can only take place after a significant part of the risks... in the area of gas supplies from 2028 have been resolved," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in a letter to European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen, published by his office today.
The EU did not approve a new package of sanctions against Russia yesterday, as Slovakia demanded more guarantees that it would not be harmed by a special EU plan to phase out Russian gas.
The sanctions would be the EU's 18th package of such measures against Russia for its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The EC, the EU's executive body, sought Slovakia's support on Tuesday in a letter saying it would work to address its concerns.
Fico said in his response that talks should continue to clarify the obligations that the EC would assume.
Slovakia continues to import Russian energy and often takes pro-Russian positions on Ukraine.
He claims that giving up Russian gas could cause shortages, increase prices and transit fees, and lead to claims for damages from Russian supplier Gazprom.
Fico said on Tuesday that the best solution would be an exemption in the phasing out of Russian energy supplies to Slovakia to allow it to fulfill its contract, which runs until 2034.
Qualified majority
When the EU Council votes on a proposal from the EC or the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the proposal is adopted if a qualified majority is achieved.
A qualified majority is achieved if two conditions are simultaneously met:
- 55% of member states vote "yes" – in practice this means 15 out of 27 states
- The proposal is supported by member states representing at least 65% of the total EU population.
This procedure is also known as the "double majority" rule.
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