Slovakia is once again complicating the EU’s attempt to agree on a new package of sanctions against Russia. PM Robert Fico has linked his approval of the bloc’s 19th sanctions round to fresh demands from Brussels, including stronger support for Europe’s car industry and relief from high energy prices. He has also revived the debate over the planned 2035 ban on petrol and diesel cars, arguing the policy endangers Slovakia’s automotive backbone of the economy. Despite claiming that the sanctions have little relevance for Slovakia, Fico told European Council President Antonio Costa during a visit to Bratislava that he would block the measures unless the summit conclusions include firm commitments on these economic issues. It is a familiar strategy: Bratislava delayed the previous sanctions package until it extracted energy-related guarantees. On Wednesday, Fico again accused the EU of paying more attention to Ukraine than to its own internal problems. His remark came just two days before a planned Slovak-Ukrainian meeting in Kosice on Friday, where cross-border cooperation and energy are expected to dominate the agenda. The upcoming EU summit on October 23 is further complicated by Hungary’s Viktor Orban, who will arrive late due to national celebrations and has asked Fico to represent Hungary in his absence. Austria has joined Slovakia in resisting the sanctions package, pushing for exemptions to protect Raiffeisen Bank from losses tied to its Russian operations.
A pro-Russian biker gang in Slovakia, Brat za brata (“Brother for Brother”), has announced the creation of a so-called National Information Service (NIS) – a “citizens’ intelligence” project presented as an alternative to the country’s official intelligence agency, SIS. The group’s leader, Matus Alexa, claimed the SIS serves politicians rather than the public and urged supporters to collect information on those he accuses of “harming the nation”. Security experts warn that this initiative may amount to an illegal operation and could be part of a broader Russian hybrid influence campaign aimed at destabilising Slovakia. Patrik Haburaj from the Institute for New Security Threats described the project as a potential information-warfare tool that undermines public trust in state institutions. Progressive Slovakia, the main opposition party, has called on the Interior Ministry to investigate whether the gang’s activities breach Slovak law on civic associations and data protection. Brat za brata is known for amplifying Kremlin narratives online, particularly through its widely followed Telegram channel, which frequently echoes the Russian embassy’s content. Alexa, who recently received a medal from Vladimir Putin, has maintained open ties with Russian officials, including the head of Moscow’s Foreign Intelligence Service.