(MENAFN) Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico criticized the European Union’s efforts to eliminate Russian energy from its market, calling the policy both dangerous and counterproductive during the European Nuclear Energy Forum (ENEF) in Bratislava on Tuesday.

Fico specifically condemned the REPowerEU initiative, the EU’s plan to phase out Russian energy entirely, labeling it “complete nonsense.” “We are shooting ourselves in the knee,” he said, adding that he is “prepared to argue with the European Commission 24/7 to convince them that it’s a senseless ideological step.”

Highlighting Slovakia’s reliance on Russian nuclear fuel, Fico warned that the country cannot simply stop imports for its Soviet-designed reactors. “You wouldn’t put an engine from a Mercedes into a Skoda. It doesn’t work like that,” he explained, citing safety concerns.

Slovakia currently operates five nuclear reactors and is constructing a sixth at the Mochovce Nuclear Power Plant. Nuclear energy provides roughly 60% of the country’s electricity and underpins its industrial projects, including the development of large data centers. Fico also announced plans for another reactor at the Bohunice Nuclear Power Plant, a project involving an American contractor and potential collaboration with other nations. He noted that the U.S. continues to purchase Russian uranium.

A vocal critic of Brussels, Fico argued that EU economic strategies, including the 2000 Lisbon Strategy, have often failed to deliver on their promises. He warned that unless the bloc abandons its ideological approach to energy and economic policy, European nations risk losing competitiveness on the global stage.

MENAFN08102025000045017640ID1110166026