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 push him toward lifting nan veto he has imposed connected a caller information of sanctions against Russia.

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

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

"I americium not willing successful dealing pinch caller sanctions packages against Russia until I see, successful nan conclusions of nan summit, governmental instructions for nan European Commission connected really to reside nan situation successful nan automotive manufacture and nan precocious power prices that are making nan European system wholly uncompetitive," Fico said last week.

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

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

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

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

The 2035 ban, agreed successful nan 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 switch accepted diesel and gasoline and prolong nan life of nan combustion engine. E-fuels are controversial because their manufacturing and burning merchandise CO2 emissions.

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

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

On power prices, von der Leyen acknowledged family and manufacture bills stay stubbornly precocious and alteration "significantly" from state to country, hurting nan bloc's expertise compete pinch nan United States and China, wherever power costs are overmuch lower.

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

"We request to study short term, effective EU measures to trim power prices successful nan Union, while safeguarding nan soul level playing field," she wrote.

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

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

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

On cars, it welcomed nan Commission's determination to accelerate nan reappraisal of nan 2035 prohibition and "calls for nan swift position of this proposal, taking into relationship technological neutrality". On power prices, nan matter lamented nan "negative impact" connected competitiveness and urges nan Commission to "accelerate activity connected actual proposals aimed astatine lowering power prices and supporting sustainable power production".

Neither of nan 2 sentences appeared successful nan erstwhile type of nan conclusions.

Drafting is poised to proceed successful nan coming days. Ambassadors are keen to adjacent nan matter earlier caput of authorities and authorities return spot astatine nan table.

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

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

"We person truthful galore problems present successful nan EU that require our afloat attention."

It remains unclear whether von der Leyen will pen a tailor-made missive to Fico, arsenic she did successful nan summer erstwhile nan Slovak leader vetoed nan erstwhile package of EU sanctions.

Back then, von der Leyen had offered assurances to nan phase-out of Russian fossil fuels, which Fico has many times opposed. The phase-out has received the preliminary approval by personnel states, pinch an emergency brake for Slovakia and Hungary.

"The president is successful regular interaction pinch nan leaders, besides successful nan discourse of immoderate package of sanctions. The contacts are very close," a Commission spokesperson said connected Monday.

"This show nan consciousness of urgency that President von der Leyen attaches to this rumor (of nan 2035 ban) and to nan business of nan automative industry."

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