Slovakia’s Fico mocks EU’s Russian fur dependency

Brussels has quietly restored access to Russian sable pelts, a high-end fur used by European fashion houses, citing the lack of alternative suppliers Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has mocked the European Commission for what he called blatant hypocrisy after it quietly exempted Russian luxury sable fur from sanctions, reportedly bowing to pressure from member states dependent on the trade.The EU initially banned imports of finished Russian fur garments shortly after the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022, alongside luxury goods such as diamonds and caviar. Raw pelts remained legal until April, when Brussels closed the loophole by banning both raw and processed furskins, including sable.However, in its 21st sanctions package unveiled late last month – already diluted as member states balked at measures damaging their own economies – Brussels reversed course, exempting raw sable pelts while keeping the ban on finished fur garments. In a video posted on Facebook on Saturday, Fico said Brussels justified the exemption by arguing European luxury furriers had no alternative source for the rare pelts, which are used to make coats costing up to €100,000 ($117,000), as Russia dominates t...