The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico, called on the European Union to lift sanctions against Russian oil and gas and to resume dialogue with Moscow, in the midst of a growing energy crisis affecting the continent. The proposal came after a conversation with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orban, with whom he agreed on the need to review the block's current energy strategy
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In a statement, Fico said that the European Union must guarantee access to all available energy sources, including Russia, to face the impact of rising prices and uncertainty on markets. According to the president, limiting oneself to national solutions is not enough in the face of a global crisis that requires coordinated responses
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The proposal comes in a context of strong pressure on oil prices, which skyrocketed after the start of military actions by the United States and Israel in Iran in late February. This scenario affected the flow of supplies from the Gulf region, causing significant disruption to the global energy market. The International Energy Agency warned that this is one of the biggest interruptions in oil supply recorded in recent years
. The Prime Minister of Slovakia assures that the proposal to lift sanctions against Russia originated after a conversation with Viktor Orbán
Fico also proposed restoring flows through the Druzhba pipeline system, a key infrastructure for transporting crude oil to Central Europe. The reactivation of this pipeline, he said, would ease tensions in the energy supply and reduce the economic impact on the countries most dependent on
these imports.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine in 2022, the European Union has advanced a policy of progressive reduction of its energy dependence on Russia. As a result, by the end of 2025, Russian oil imports represented just 1% of the block's total. However, Hungary and Slovakia remained exceptions, continuing to buy Russian crude oil due to their high dependence and limitations on alternative infrastructure
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In recent weeks, the situation has been aggravated by a drone attack on Ukrainian territory that damaged facilities linked to the transport of oil, partially interrupting shipments to Europe. Both Budapest and Bratislava accused Ukraine of delaying the necessary repairs to restore flow through the Druzhba, leading to a political dispute. Hungary even blocked a European Union loan to Kiev in the midst of this conflict.
The European Commission proposed the reduction of electricity tariffs and the increase of taxes
Meanwhile, other countries in the block are pushing for measures to contain the impact of rising energy prices. Five member States proposed applying extraordinary taxes to the profits of companies in the energy sector, with the aim of alleviating the burden on consumers and
businesses.
In parallel, the European Commission is considering reactivating mechanisms implemented during the 2022 energy crisis, such as the reduction of electricity grid tariffs and tax adjustments. These tools seek to cushion the economic impact without modifying the current sanctions scheme against Russia
