Slovakia will stop blocking the approval of the 18th package of European Union sanctions against Russia on Friday, Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico stated he is ending his country’s blocking of the EU’s latest 18 sanctions package against Russia, after claiming he has secured energy guarantees for Slovakia in connection with the EU phase-out of Russian fossil fuel imports.

All negotiating options have been exhausted for now, and continuing our blocking position would now endanger our interests," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said.