BRUSSELS, BRATISLAVA. Prime Minister Robert Fico has decided that Slovakia will not support the 18th European Union sanctions package against Russia for the time being.

Despite the fact that before lunch he announced that he had received a letter from the President of the European Commission, who promised him guarantees regarding gas supplies to Slovakia after 2028, he ultimately issued an instruction for Slovakia to request a postponement of the vote on sanctions in Brussels.

Fico claims that the opposition is to blame for his decision.

"Under the circumstances, the European Commission should sort out its favorites in the opposition, and the prime ministers of EU member states who openly support it should do the same," he said.

Fico's blocking maneuver

Slovakia and Hungary rejected the new package of sanctions against Russia at the European Council summit on June 27.

Fico has been demanding concessions in the otherwise unrelated RePower EU package, which is intended to ensure the disconnection of the Union from Russian minerals. He criticizes the proposal for increasing gas transit fees for Slovakia, increasing gas prices and, in addition, the threat of a lawsuit from Gazprom, with which the Slovak Gas Industry has a contract until 2034.

Since sanctions against Russia require unanimity among member states, and only a majority is required to disconnect the Union from Russian fossil fuels, Fico used the veto of sanctions to pressure negotiations in the Union.

While Hungary later backed down, a compromise with Slovakia was not reached even on Friday, July 11, at a meeting of permanent representatives to the EU.

On Saturday, when another extraordinary meeting of EU envoys was held, Fico said that Slovakia had no problem supporting the sanctions package and that he believed that they would agree on concessions with the Commission by Tuesday.

Guarantees from von der Leyen

Already on Monday, information appeared in foreign media that Slovakia would finally support the adoption of the 18th sanctions package against Russia, thanks to guarantees from the European Commission on gas supply issues.

Fico's reaction also indicated this."Telephone arguments and tough negotiations are approaching some conclusion. On the table is a written draft of the Commission's guarantees, which it is offering us in exchange for voting on the 18th package of anti-Russian sanctions," Fico said in a video statement published on social media.

"I still reserve the option that we will not support the 18th sanctions package," he added.

In the letter, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen writes that she is aware of"national specificities and challenges faced by member states."

"I can assure you of the Commission's commitment to working with you to implement the agreed work plan and address the specific challenges for Slovakia," von der Leyen writes.

Fico criticized by the opposition

However, opposition parties reacted on Tuesday by criticizing Fico not only for his stance on sanctions, his calculation of disconnection from Russian fossil fuels, but also for his cooperation with Russia.

"He blackmailed the European Commission and our partners so much that we ended up like a disobedient student who the EU still wants to help," stated the chairman of SaS Branislav Gröhling.

According to him, Fico says that Russian gas is the cheapest, but according to Eurostat, our wholesale customers had the second highest prices in the entire Union.

"He talks about arbitration, but he ignores that all of Gazprom's disputes with European states ended in fiasco for the Russian concern. That is not a policy of sovereignty, that is a policy of servility towards the Kremlin," concluded the SaS chairman.

"Instead of cooperating and coordinating procedures in accordance with agreements at the European level, the Prime Minister and the Smer party are constantly fanning tensions not only at the domestic but also at the international level," the KDH stated in its statement.

"Robert Fico is said to be waiting for the reaction of party leaders regarding his gas game. Here is my reaction - it ended in a fiasco, exactly as we warned. He negotiated nothing for Slovakia in Brussels, he only damaged our name, brought shame to the country and finally declared capitulation," responded to the Prime Minister Michal Šimečka, chairman of the strongest opposition entity, the Progressive Slovakia (PS) movement.

Sanctions blocked again

Fico ultimately blocked the vote on sanctions again, despite the Commission's guarantees. He sent a statement to the media in which he apologized for the critical reaction of the domestic opposition.

"The representative of the Slovak Republic was instructed to request a postponement of the vote on the 18th sanctions package today, taking into account the position of the Slovak political scene," the prime minister says.

State Secretary Marek Eštok traveled to Tuesday's meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels instead of Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár.

European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas confirmed that Slovakia continues to block the adoption of the sanctions package. However, she believes that an agreement can be reached on Wednesday.

"I am really sad that we did not reach an agreement today. I have to say that we were really close to reassuring Slovakia. The Commission gave them everything they asked for. Now the ball is in Slovakia's court and we have to close this agreement. It has been going on for two months," said Kallas.

"Negotiations have been ongoing for some time and the President of the European Commission also sent a letter to the Slovak Prime Minister in which she responded to their concerns. So far, it has seemed to be in order," the head of European diplomacy continued.

"So I don't know what happened in the meantime, probably something in domestic politics. But it's important that we stick to these points. If you have concerns and those concerns and sensitive issues are addressed, then I think it's important that you don't add anything extra to it," she responded.

She also stressed that sanctions are necessary to deprive Russia of the means to continue the war in Ukraine. In connection with the current situation, she noted that Russian bombing has reached record levels and Moscow is increasingly using banned chemical weapons."All this shows that Russia is not interested in peace," she stated.

In addition to Slovakia, Malta also has reservations about the 18th package of anti-Russian sanctions. It is hindered by the price cap on Russian energy, which would disadvantage the Maltese shipping industry.

Further negotiations between permanent representatives to the EU are taking place on Wednesday, but it is questionable whether the issue of sanctions will be on the table.