The European Commission did not support Slovakia and Hungary in their attempts to force Ukraine to lift sanctions against the Russian oil company Lukoil.
Points of attention
- The European Commission did not support Hungary and Slovakia in their efforts to lift sanctions against Russian oil company Lukoil in Ukraine, sparking a dispute over oil transit.
- Slovakia and Hungary, facing restrictions on Russian oil transit through Ukraine, sought EU support, but were met with opposition from other EU countries.
- The volume of Russian oil plays a crucial role in Slovakia's only refinery, impacting exports to Ukraine and the Czech Republic, leading to concerns over the ongoing conflict.
- Slovak President Peter Pellegrini expressed readiness to react if Ukraine maintains its position on Lukoil, while Hungary refrained from commenting on the situation.
- The EU's decision not to intervene in the conflict highlights tensions within the bloc and the challenges of navigating trade policies with neighboring countries like Ukraine and Russia.
Hungary and Slovakia did not receive EU support in their attempts to force Ukraine to lift restrictions on oil transit from the Russian Federation
According to the publication, Hungary and Slovakia use exceptions to the European-wide ban on oil imports from the Russian Federation.
Because of Ukraine's recent decision to restrict the transit of oil of the Russian company Lukoil, both countries appealed to the European Commission, which deals with issues of EU trade policy.
However, according to European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis, more time is currently needed to obtain evidence and assess the legal situation.
Three European diplomats informed the journalists of the publication that the representatives of 11 EU countries supported the position of the European Commissioner and opposed the demands of Slovakia and Hungary.
One of the diplomats noted to the publication that the trade agreement with Ukraine contains a security clause that could allow for the interruption of supplies.
The timing of the address is particularly ironic given that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has deeply irritated most of his EU partners and the European Commission in recent weeks by unilaterally lobbying for a peace plan for Ukraine during visits to Russia and China without the approval of Brussels, - is emphasized in the material of the publication.
What they say in Slovakia and Ukraine
In addition, Ukraine notes that the same amount of oil flows through the pipeline as before, with the help of other Russian companies.
Journalists note that the volume of Russian oil is 35-40% of the total volume of raw materials at the only refinery in Slovakia.
Petroleum products produced from Russian oil are exported to Ukraine and the Czech Republic, and from there to the countries of Central Europe.
In turn, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini said that he would be "forced to react" if Ukraine did not change its position on Lukoil.
According to him, Slovakia helps Ukraine with gas reserves and electricity supply. At the same time, representatives of Hungary refused to comment on this situation.
