The Slovak Republic rejects proposal to extend sanctions against Russia for another year
The Slovakіа government has rejected a proposal to extend the massive sanctions imposed on Russia for another year after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Politico reported, citing its own sources.
https://www.politico.eu/article/slovakia-rejects-eu-plan-lock-in-russia-sanctions-12-months/
The sanctions, which have been repeatedly extended for six months in recent years, expire on September 15. The European Union had hoped to secure a longer extension and avoid renegotiations, but any amendment requires unanimous support from all 27 members of the bloc.
The six-month extension cycle was a compromise designed to appease former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Budapest has used the repeated expiration dates of the sanctions to pressure governments in other EU countries.
On September 2, EU ambassadors failed to reach an agreement on the proposal, with Slovak Republic the only country not supporting it.
“Apparently, they have some objections. I think we’ve heard them before,” said one of the sources.