In a move that reeks of retaliation, Ukraine has now enacted specific sanctions against a Russian company that only really hurt the neighboring countries and even itself.
Many do not know that multiple European countries depend on Russian oil and gas for their energy supply.
And indeed, Russia has continued to supply natural gas and oil to landlocked Hungary and Slovakia via Ukraine, through the Druzhba pipeline’s southern spur.
The recent Ukrainian decision to halt the transit of oil from Russia’s Lukoil has led to protests in Budapest and Bratislava, as it threatens the long-term security of supply of both countries.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto was very vocal about this decision.
Reuters reported:
“‘We have been able to stabilize the situation with temporary solutions, but these will not be enough even for the near future’, Szijjarto said.
‘Ukrainian authorities showed willingness to find a solution to the situation, but these attempts have faded since’, he added.”
Fico and Orbán: targeted for retaliation?
While Ukraine’s ban of Russian oil across its territory is not so strange, what seems peculiar is that not all Russian oil exporters whose oil was still allowed through Ukraine are affected – just the one that hurts Hungary and Slovakia the most.
RBC Ukraine reported:
[Hungarian FM] Szijjártó considers Ukraine’s decision to halt the transit of Lukoil oil to be ‘incomprehensible and unacceptable’.”
The Hungarian Foreign Minister added that Hungary and Slovakia depend on the Druzhba pipeline, through which Lukoil supplies about two million tons of oil per year.
‘This decision seriously jeopardizes the long-term oil supply security of Hungary and Slovakia’, said the Minister.”
Hungary intends to discuss this issue at the EU Foreign Affairs Council meeting.
“‘It’s peculiar that an EU-aspiring country is endangering the energy supply of two EU member states, especially in the summer when energy consumption is at its peak’, stated Szijjártó.”
On the Slovak side, as you would expect, Prime Minister Robert Fico is outraged that Ukraine has blocked the supply of Russian oil to Hungary through the Druzhba pipeline. He had a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Denys Shmyhal on this issue.
UAZMI reported:
“This was reported on Saturday evening, July 20, by Slovak media, including TASR, with reference to the country’s government. Fico criticized Ukraine’s inclusion of the Russian company Lukoil in the sanctions list, as its oil was also used by the Slovnaft refinery, which is part of the Hungarian MOL group.”
Fico stated that these sanctions are ‘meaningless’ because they harm not Russia, but the EU countries.
“‘Slovakia does not intend to be a hostage to Ukrainian-Russian relations, and the decision of the Ukrainian president means that the Slovak oil refinery Slovnaft, which is part of the Hungarian MOL group, will receive 40% less oil than it needs for processing. This will affect not only the Slovak market, but may also lead to the cessation of supplies to Ukraine of oil produced by Slovnaft, which accounts for almost a tenth of all Ukrainian consumption’, Fico said.”