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PM Fico: Slovakia will block EU Sanctions on Russia if it harms national interests

Robert Fico, the Prime Minister of Slovakia, said that his country will not support any European Union sanctions which harm its national interests against Russia. The resolution passed by parliament on Sunday urging the government to refrain from supporting any new measures was a call for the government to stop backing any new measures.

Fico stated that Slovakia wanted to remain constructive within the EU, but called the resolution an instrument of political communication.

Fico said at a press conference that was broadcast on the YouTube page of his party: "I will never vote for a sanction which would harm us."

Slovakia, which is a member of NATO and the European Union, diverged from its Western allies on Ukraine, under Fico's leftist-nationalist coalition government, and has stopped official state aid to Kyiv in its battle against the separatists.

Russia's invasion

Fico is also opposed to sanctions against Russia for its war in Ukraine, arguing that trade measures harm Slovakia and the EU far more than Moscow.

In a parliamentary session with a low turnout, the new resolution committed members of government to not vote for any new sanctions or trade restrictions towards Russia. The extent to which the resolution is constitutionally binding was not immediately clear.

Fico said that he would not support any measures to stop the importation of Russian fuel into Slovakia's nuclear plants.

"I want to be a constructive member of the European Union but not at the cost of Slovakia."

The Slovakian government has not blocked any EU sanctions in the past, including those imposed by the European Union.

17th package

In May, the United States adopted a policy of targeting Moscow's Shadow Fleet.

The opposition of Slovakia and other countries like Hungary that still depend on Russian energy has consistently thwarted attempts to attack Russia's nuclear and gas sectors.

(source: Reuters)