SaS: Prime Minister Undermines European Solutions and Serves Russian Interests

Bratislava, 27 June (TASR) - The opposition party Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) has criticised Prime Minister Robert Fico's stance at the European Council summit in Brussels, where Slovakia, alongside Hungary, rejected the new package of sanctions against Russia and opposed military support for Ukraine, calling it a continuation of a dangerous, out-of-touch policy that isolates Slovakia from the core of the EU and NATO and plays into the hands of Vladimir Putin’s regime. "Prime Minister Fico has once again shown himself to be a useful ally of Kremlin in Brussels. While the rest of the civilised world stands by the invaded Ukraine and holds the line of common European policy, the Slovak government stands aside, blackmails and weakens the unity of the European Union. This is unacceptable," said SaS leader Branislav Groehling. According to SaS, Fico’s conditions for supporting sanctions against Russia, such as guarantees on gas prices or compensation for potential legal disputes with Gazprom, are merely excuses to sabotage joint decisions. The party said his behaviour undermines trust in Slovakia as a reliable partner. SaS also noted that Fico’s opposition to increasing defence spending directly contradicts NATO member countries’ commitments. The party called on the government to stop obstructing and dragging European policy into domestic “PR theatre.” Following the one-day European Council summit in Brussels on Thursday night, Fico reiterated that Slovakia won't support the 18th package of sanctions against Russia unless it receives guarantees from the European Commission regarding the proposal to stop Russian gas imports from January 2028, while also praising the Commission’s constructive approach on the issue. lin/mcs