It seems that the countries cut off from Lukoil's oil will have to resolve the situation themselves, the authorities in Brussels do not want to intervene in the matter.
On Thursday, Slovakia called on the European Commission not to delay its decision in the consultation procedure initiated by Bratislava and Budapest because of Ukraine's introduction of restrictions on crude oil deliveries to the Russian company Lukoil.
"I call on the European Commission not to waste time and to take a stand with its member states, but especially with its citizens, as quickly as possible"
- can be read in the e-mail message of Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár.
During the day, Olof Gill, the competent spokesperson of the European Commission in Brussels, informed that the letter sent by the Hungarian and Slovak governments on the restriction of crude oil transport to Ukraine was received by Valdis Dombrovskis, the commissioner responsible for trade policy, on Monday. The European Commission will analyze its contents, gather additional information, and then when all the facts and information are available, the board will "make a decision", MTI wrote.
On Monday, Hungary and Slovakia turned to the authorities in Brussels to try to persuade Ukraine to let Lukoil's oil continue.
It seems that the countries cut off from Lukoil's oil will have to solve the situation they found themselves in as a result of Ukraine stopping the company's transmission on the southern branch of the Friendship pipeline in June, Világgazdaság reported . The matter was discussed by the officials of the Brussels Commission on Wednesday, but no official position has yet been published. According to the Financial Times
the negotiating diplomats do not want to intervene in the case.
On Monday, Hungary and Slovakia turned to the authorities in Brussels to try to persuade Ukraine to let Lukoil's oil continue. According to their argument, Ukraine, which wants to join the EU, has violated the passage of its association agreement, according to which it cannot stop transit through its territory. It is important to note that the EU sanctions against Russia only apply to oil shipments by sea, and thus not to items arriving in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary.
The CEO of the Ukrainian pipeline company recently indicated that the goal of the oil freeze is to deprive Russia of about $6 billion in annual revenue. At the same time, the Russian RIA Novosti news agency, referring to Reuters, reported that "according to one of the diplomats, Ukraine's trade agreement contains a clause that allows for the suspension of oil transit," Mandiner observed.
Cover image: Friendship II. crude oil pipeline – MTI Photo: Zoltán Máthé
