Slovakia Blocks EU Move to Annual Sanctions Renewal

Slovakia blocked the annual extension of EU sanctions against Russia.

Consensus

• Slovakia blocked the EU's proposal to transition from biannual to annual renewal of sanctions against Russia.
• The existing sanctions will be renewed for another six months before 15 September.
• The EU continues to operate under the current system of six-monthly renewals.
• The decision does not affect the substance of the current EU sanctions against Russia.
• The next renewal of sanctions is scheduled for 15 September.

Points of divergence

• The Slovak government rejected the proposal to extend sanctions for 12 months on Wednesday, 2 September. — vm
• Slovakia was the only country not supporting the proposal at the ambassadors' meeting on 2 September. — vedomosti
• The EU plans to add 800 physical and 800 legal persons to the sanctions list, with discussions scheduled for 1–2 September in Ireland. — vedomosti
• The EU plans to include approximately 1,600 physical and legal persons in the new sanctions package. — vm
• Discussions include the potential inclusion of 27 additional entities with asset freezes. — vedomosti
• There is ongoing discussion about using frozen Russian assets, though Belgium opposes this move. — vedomosti
• The EU plans to discuss the use of frozen Russian assets in October. — vm

Coverage (4 sources)

• Slovakia blocked transition to annual renewal of EU sanctions against Russia — РИАМО
• Politico: Slovakia Refused to Support Extension of Anti-Russian Sanctions — Вечерняя Москва
• Slovakia rejected EU plan for annual extension of sanctions against Russia — Ведомости
• Slovakia blocked EU transition to annual extension of sanctions against Russia — Вести

Key entities

• Slovakia
• Russia
• EU
• Politico
• European Union (EU)
• Moscow
• TASS
• Brussels
• European Union