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.

BRATISLAVA - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday blamed the European Commission's proposal to completely halt energy imports from Russia, calling the plan unacceptable in its current form.

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.