00:00Why was Slovakia initially blocking the 18th sanction package and what has changed their stance at the last minute on this?
00:07Well, essentially, Slovakia is one of the countries that are particularly vulnerable to the EU's push to wean itself away from Russian oil and indeed Russian gas.
00:19Now, the European Union has said it plans to totally cut itself off from Russian gas by 2027.
00:26Slovakia has a direct pipeline from Russia to the country and they are concerned that there be contract breaches that would cost the money that would cause volatility when it comes to energy prices.
00:39So essentially, the message from Prime Minister Robert Fico is that they wanted carve outs.
00:45They wanted guarantees from the EU that they would be protected and that their energy security would be accounted for going forward.
00:54The EU had consistently said that it would be and that they would talk with all member states to ensure there wouldn't be any energy shocks to them.
01:03It seems like Slovakia is now convinced and has now had enough guarantees from Brussels that their energy future will be secured,
01:12even if it means a pivot away from Moscow and its energy supplies.
01:17It seems like a pivot away from the EU that will change the development of the EU's tax system.
01:23The EU has been a model in Russia as well.
01:24The EU has been an object to the EU's tax system and its energy storage.
01:27The EU has been an object to the EU's tax system.
01:30The EU has been an object to the EU's tax system.
01:33It seems like AUTOMENIC and its power of consumes that EU uses a approach to the EU's tax system.
01:35The EU has been a specific way to the EU's tax system.
01:41The EU, Jaula of the EU is a major preparation for the EU's tax system.
