Robert Fico, the Slovak Prime Minister, announced that Slovakia will stop blocking the EU's 18th sanctions package against Russia, citing that maintaining the veto would be counterproductive and threaten the country's economic interests. Slovakia had previously opposed the package due to concerns over the proposed cessation of Russian gas imports by 2028, which they believed would lead to shortages and price increases. Fico stated that Slovakia received written guarantees from the European Commission to protect against potential damages from the sanctions. He also indicated that Slovakia would not support the part of the RePowerEU program that halts Russian gas deliveries and plans to work on a national action plan regarding the gas issue. Teljes cikk (Index.hu)