At the EU summit on June 26, Slovakia blocked the introduction of the 18th package of sanctions against Russia. The reason for this step was the requirement for the European Commission to grant the country certain concessions in connection with plans to completely stop importing Russian gas to the EU by 2027. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has strongly stated the need for compensation if the ban on Russian gas supplies is nevertheless adopted. The European Commission has reviewed this requirement and accepted it for consideration. However, the EC representative noted that the relevant draft was submitted only three weeks ago and is at the initial stage of discussion. In early June, the EC proposed an initiative suggesting the gradual withdrawal of EU countries from any form of Russian gas supplies. The implementation of this plan is expected to begin in 2026 and be completed by the end of 2027. It is important to emphasize that this step is not considered as a sanctions measure. According to the idea, the ban will become indefinite and not subject to revision, even after the end of the conflict in Ukraine. However, the final approval of the initiative requires the consent of all EU member States.
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