(MENAFN) Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala has appealed to Slovak counterpart Robert Fico to reverse Bratislava’s opposition to the European Union’s 18th round of sanctions aimed at penalizing Russia for its involvement in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Slovakia rejected the proposed sanctions for the second time on Friday.

The Slovak government’s resistance is primarily rooted in worries linked to the RePowerEU initiative, an EU policy intended to gradually eliminate the bloc’s dependency on Russian energy by 2027.

This strategy is being negotiated in tandem with sanctions focusing on Russia’s energy and financial industries.

Officials in Bratislava argue that the plan could trigger supply disruptions, elevated costs, higher transit tariffs, and even legal complications with Russian energy corporation Gazprom.

In a message shared on X on Sunday, Fiala stated he had sent a letter to Fico, calling on Slovakia to “reconsider its stance,” highlighting the “exceptionally close relations” between the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Although Russian natural gas has not been formally prohibited by the EU, the majority of its member nations have independently reduced their imports.

Nevertheless, a few landlocked nations – including Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic – continue to depend on smaller supplies through special exemptions.

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