Fico tells Fiala: Slovakia is a sovereign country

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico responded to a letter from his Czech counterpart Petr Fiala, who urged Slovakia not to block the EU’s 18th sanctions package against Russia. In his reply, Fico emphasized that Slovakia is a sovereign and democratic country and linked its approval of new sanctions to guarantees of sufficient gas supplies after 2028, when EU imports of Russian gas are set to end. Fico invited Fiala to Slovakia for joint government talks, suggesting direct dialogue as the best way to ease international tensions.