Slovakia gathers enough signatures for referendum on lifting anti-Russian sanctions

Slovakia has successfully gathered the required number of signatures to initiate a referendum aimed at lifting anti-Russian sanctions.

Pavol Slota, leader of the DOMOV (Homeland - National Party), announced the milestone, stating that the legal threshold of 350,000 signatures has been surpassed, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

According to Slota, a total of 356,593 signatures were collected in support of the petition.

"The limit established by law to declare a referendum on the non-application of anti-Russian sanctions by Slovakia has been reached. We will announce further steps in the coming days," Slota said in a statement.

The collection of signatures marks a significant step towards holding a national vote on Slovakia’s stance regarding sanctions imposed on Russia, a highly contentious issue in the country’s political landscape.

On April 10, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico voiced his belief that the European Union (EU) should foster a positive environment for peace negotiations, suggesting that the lifting of certain sanctions against Russia could be part of such an effort. Fico stressed that he did not believe in the effectiveness of the sanctions, indicating his skepticism regarding their impact on resolving the ongoing conflict.

His comments came amid growing tensions within the EU over the next potential round of sanctions against Russia.

By Vafa Guliyeva