Slovakia’s parliament has voted to veto any European Union sanctions that will harm the national interest. Prime Minister Robert Fico announced his willingness to implement the motion in an online press conference on Sunday, June 8th:
If there is a sanction that would harm us, I will never vote for it.
The tough line is consistent with Fico’s emphasis on protecting sovereignty against Brussels’ EU-wide initiatives.
As recently as last month, Slovakia was not blocking EU sanctions, but restricting the import of Russian fuel for Slovakian nuclear power production would be a step too far.
