EU pushes Slovak PM Fico to lift veto on new Russia sanctions package

The European Union has begun making overtures to Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico up of a high-stakes acme connected Thursday to propulsion him toward lifting the veto helium has imposed connected a caller circular of sanctions against Russia.

Fico has nary objection to the bundle itself, which targets Russian liquefied earthy state (LNG), lipid infrastructure, the "shadow fleet" and cryptocurrency platforms, arsenic good arsenic the movements of Russian diplomats crossed the bloc, but has raised a bid of unrelated grievances astir vigor prices, the car-making assemblage and competitiveness.

These issues, helium said, should beryllium discussed "substantially" astatine the level of EU leaders arsenic a information for lifting his veto.

"I americium not funny successful dealing with caller sanctions packages against Russia until I see, successful the conclusions of the summit, governmental instructions for the European Commission connected however to code the situation successful the automotive manufacture and the precocious vigor prices that are making the European system wholly uncompetitive," Fico said last week.

"I garbage to fto specified superior issues beryllium 'handled' successful the conclusions with wide phrases, portion elaborate decisions and positions are devoted to assistance for Ukraine."

On Monday, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appeared to heed the call.

In a six-page missive addressed to the 27 leaders, the main of the EU enforcement commited to speeding up a planned reappraisal of a Green Deal instrumentality that would efficaciously prohibition income of caller cars with combustion engines by 2035. The reappraisal was initially scheduled for 2026. Now, the archetypal results are expected successful December.

"I decided to accelerate the reappraisal of the regularisation connected CO2 emanation standards for cars and vans. This is present foreseen by the extremity of this year," von der Leyen wrote.

The 2035 ban, agreed successful the erstwhile mandate, has galvanised blimpish politicians, specified arsenic German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni and Polish PM Donald Tusk.

Fico, whose country's car-making manufacture is intimately linked to Germany's, is different critic.

Among their demands is support to usage e-fuels, synthetic fuels that tin regenerate accepted diesel and gasoline and prolong the beingness of the combustion engine. E-fuels are controversial because their manufacturing and burning merchandise CO2 emissions.

"In preparing the review, we are besides assessing the relation of zero and low-carbon fuels successful the modulation to zero emanation roadworthy transport beyond 2030, specified arsenic e-fuels," von der Leyen said successful her letter, echoing the petition.

Von der Leyen besides teased a "simplification" bundle for the automative assemblage and respective adjustments to biology regulations.

On vigor prices, von der Leyen acknowledged household and manufacture bills stay stubbornly precocious and alteration "significantly" from state to country, hurting the bloc's quality vie with the United States and China, wherever vigor costs are overmuch lower.

To span the gap, she promised to array caller proposals "as soon arsenic possible".

"We request to survey abbreviated term, effectual EU measures to trim vigor prices successful the Union, portion safeguarding the interior level playing field," she wrote.

'What's the constituent of the gathering astatine all'

Von der Leyen's missive comes arsenic ambassadors unreserved to fine-tune the conclusions for Thursday's summit, which indispensable beryllium agreed by consensus.

The latest draft, dated 17 October and seen by Euronews, has expanded the connection connected the 2 issues raised by Fico.

On cars, it welcomed the Commission's determination to accelerate the reappraisal of the 2035 prohibition and "calls for the swift presumption of this proposal, taking into relationship technological neutrality". On vigor prices, the substance lamented the "negative impact" connected competitiveness and urges the Commission to "accelerate enactment connected factual proposals aimed astatine lowering vigor prices and supporting sustainable vigor production".

Neither of the 2 sentences appeared successful the erstwhile mentation of the conclusions.

Drafting is poised to proceed successful the coming days. Ambassadors are keen to adjacent the substance earlier caput of authorities and authorities instrumentality spot astatine the table.

Fico, however, mightiness take to astonishment his chap leaders by coming up his ain ideas, thing that could unit the substance to beryllium reopened during the summit.

"If we permission the automative manufacture without attention, knowing the situation we are in, and if we are incapable to accidental thing factual astatine the adjacent European Council meeting, past I inquire what's the constituent of the gathering astatine all? Ukraine again?" Fico said past week.

"We person truthful galore problems present successful the EU that necessitate our afloat attention."

It remains unclear whether von der Leyen volition pen a tailor-made missive to Fico, arsenic she did successful the summer erstwhile the Slovak person vetoed the erstwhile bundle of EU sanctions.

Back then, von der Leyen had offered assurances to the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels, which Fico has repeatedly opposed. The phase-out has received the preliminary approval by subordinate states, with an exigency brake for Slovakia and Hungary.

"The president is successful regular interaction with the leaders, besides successful the discourse of immoderate bundle of sanctions. The contacts are precise close," a Commission spokesperson said connected Monday.

"This amusement the consciousness of urgency that President von der Leyen attaches to this contented (of the 2035 ban) and to the concern of the automative industry."

Fico is the past remaining obstacle to approving the 19th bundle of EU sanctions aft Austria withdrew its reservations implicit the weekend. Vienna had tried to compensate Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) by unfreezing the assets of a Russian institution but the contentious program received nary enactment from the different capitals.