Slovakia's populist leader has rejected a European Union plan to halt imports of Russian natural gas by the end of 2027 to deprive President Vladimir Putin of revenue that helps fuel the war in Ukraine.

Slovakia does not accept the EU's plan to end the import of oil, gas, and nuclear fuel from Russia by 2027, Prime Minister Robert Fico stated on Wednesday. He argued that a complete halt in supplies would harm the competitiveness of both the EU and Slovakia.

Around 19% of Europe's gas still comes from Russia via the TurkStream pipeline and LNG shipments, down from roughly 45% before 2022. Slovakia's ministry says 10 of the bloc's 27 members imported Russian gas last year.