Slovakia will stop blocking the approval of the 18th package of European Union sanctions against Russia on Friday, Prime Minister Robert Fico said. Fico said on Thursday Slovakia had achieved as much as it could at this point,

All negotiating options have been exhausted for now, and continuing our blocking position would now endanger our interests," Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said.

The European Union on Friday reached an agreement to impose its 18th round of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine after Slovakia ended its protest.