Slovakia Requests an Exemption from Brussels from the Plan to Phase Out Russian Energy

Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár announced that his country has submitted an official request to the European Commission for an exemption from the European plan aimed at stopping the import of Russian energy resources by 2027 – 2028.

Blanár clarified, in statements to reporters following his meeting with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, that Bratislava emphasized its unique situation during talks with Brussels. He said: "We clearly stated that we need to take our specific circumstances into account, and we would like the plan to include exemptions that allow us to postpone implementation or reconsider it if prices rise significantly."

The minister added: "We propose that a temporary exemption be granted to allow us to continue importing Russian energy resources for a specified period."

The European Commission announced, following the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis in 2022, a plan to abandon Russian pipeline gas by 2027 – 2028, although some member states continue to purchase liquefied natural gas from Moscow. On September 19, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed a broader ban on imports of Russian liquefied gas as part of a new sanctions package against Russia.