Slovakia is pushing for firm guarantees from the European Commission and key EU member states over the future of its energy security, as it links its support for a fresh round of sanctions on Russia to concessions on the bloc’s planned Russian gas phase-out.

Speaking on July 12, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said his government hoped to reach an agreement with Brussels and EU partners by July 15, the date of the next EU Foreign Affairs Council, where the 18th sanctions package is expected to be finalised.

“We need to win something in this fight, though it will not be a 100-0 result,” Fico told reporters, according to Reuters. “We want political commitments, guarantees from partners and the Commission that this problem will not remain only on Slovakia's back.”

The comments come as Bratislava vetoed the latest eighteenth round of EU sanctions against Russia. The proposed sanctions – first tabled on June 10 – target Russian energy revenues, financial institutions and military industries. While Fico stressed that “the sanctions package itself is not objectionable,” his government has blocked approval to get leverage of the over objections to a separate European Commission initiative to end all Russian gas imports by 2028 – a decision that would heavily impact both Slovakia and Hungary, which both remain dependent on the import of oil and gas directly from Russia.

Unlike the gas phase-out, which can be approved by qualified majority, sanctions require unanimous support – giving Slovakia a de facto veto. Bratislava has thus tied the two issues together, refusing to support sanctions unless its energy security concerns are addressed.

Fico’s government wants clarity on how Slovakia will be supported in securing alternative gas supplies, including the cost of transporting gas from non-Russian sources. If the piped gas supplies from Russia to Slovakia end then it will be forced to buy far more expensive LNG, and the country lacks sufficient pipeline infrastructure to get it to its market from southern ports.

“Unresolved issues include capping transit fees that Slovakia would have to pay for importing non-Russian gas via alternative routes,” Fico said, Reuters reported.

Slovakia currently imports gas under a long-term contract with Gazprom that runs up until 2034, covering roughly 3.5bn cubic metres per year. With Ukraine having halted Russian gas transit at the end of 2024, Slovakia now relies on supplies via the TurkStream pipeline and neighbouring Hungary.

Fico met with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on July 11 and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on July 12, seeking alignment on energy policy and sanctions enforcement. If Slovakia lifts its veto, the new sanctions could be signed off as early as July 15.

Since winning elections in 2023, Fico has reversed Slovakia’s previously pro-Ukrainian stance, ending military aid to Kyiv and questioning the efficacy of sanctions. His government has also distanced itself politically from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

“My meeting with President Zelenskiy has no significance,” Fico told Slovak broadcaster STVR on June 28. “Zelenskiy hates me. I prefer to work with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.”

He also linked his position to Slovakia’s economic interests: “I'm the prime minister of the Slovak Republic, and my task is to do everything to ensure that gas prices in Slovakia do not rise because of Ukraine.”

While Fico has said that Ukraine’s eventual EU accession could be beneficial for Slovakia, he has delegated high-level talks to President Peter Pellegrini, further reflecting a recalibration of bilateral relations.

As Brussels seeks to maintain unity on its Russia strategy, Slovakia’s energy demands have become a pivotal test of whether domestic political priorities will shape the EU’s broader geopolitical agenda.