Slovakia has lifted its block on EU sanctions against Russia
15 March 17:12
Slovakia lifted its veto on the extension of EU sanctions against Russia at the last minute. The restrictive measures were immediately extended for another six months, the EU announced, according to [Komersant].
According to AFP, citing diplomatic sources, the government in Bratislava dropped its initial demand to remove two oligarchs from the sanctions list, which includes about 2,600 Russian oligarchs and organizations.
Sanctions imposed on Russia due to its war against Ukraine must be unanimously extended by all 27 EU member states every six months. Slovakia blocked this process, demanding that Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman be removed from the list of oligarchs.
Had Bratislava not relented, the sanctions would have expired on March 15. They are now in effect until September 15. At the same time, two other individuals were removed from the sanctions list: Dutch oil trader Niels Troost and Maya Bolotova, the daughter of the head of the Russian oil pipeline company Transneft. Five more people were removed from the list due to death.
In total, approximately 2,600 individuals and organizations are subject to sanctions, including Russian President Vladimir Putin—their assets in the EU are frozen, and they are barred from entering the European Union.
Sanctions Blockade Tactics
The pro-Russian governments of Slovakia and Hungary have repeatedly threatened not to extend the sanctions and demanded the removal of certain individuals or organizations from the sanctions list. But each time—as is the case now—an agreement was reached, albeit sometimes at the last minute.
At the same time, Hungary continues to block the allocation of a €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine due to the suspension of oil supplies from Russia via the Druzhba pipeline. According to the Ukrainian side, the pipeline was damaged in January as a result of a Russian strike and has been rendered inoperable.
Hungary and Slovakia accuse Kyiv of delaying repairs and using the alleged damage as a pretext to shut down the pipeline. Because of this dispute, Budapest is also blocking a new package of sanctions against Russia.
