Slovakia confirmed on Wednesday that it will continue to maintain its veto over the new EU sanctions package against Russia.
The veto was reaffirmed during a meeting of member country ambassadors in Brussels, where the issue of sanctions was put forward for approval but was blocked again.
The package, which is ready to be implemented after weeks of negotiations, targets Russia's financial and energy sectors, including the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
Meanwhile, the move to lower the ceiling price of Russian crude oil is not certain to succeed due to the reluctance of the current US administration.
The diplomatic impasse comes as Moscow has carried out a record series of drone and missile attacks on Ukrainian cities, making the Union's sense of urgency to tighten the reins on the Kremlin and its military machine more urgent.
In essence, Slovakia does not oppose economic restrictions. Its position is related to another issue: the proposal to phase out traditional Russian fuels by 2027.
The European Commission published the project in May and presented it to the European Parliament in June, based on a gradual ban on short-term and long-term gas contracts.
But Slovakia opposed it, arguing that it would raise prices for consumers, weaken competition and endanger energy security.
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