Slovakia Could Follow Hungary in Taking Action against Ukraine’s Oil Blockade

If Russian oil supplies through Ukraine are not resumed in the coming days, the Slovnaft oil refinery in Bratislava will stop exporting diesel to Ukraine, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in a video posted on social media on Monday.

The Slovak prime minister made the announcement after several telephone calls with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Smihal and a meeting with Ukraine’s ambassador in Bratislava on Monday. If Ukraine does not stop restricting Russian oil exports to Slovakia and Hungary, the Slovnaft oil refinery in Bratislava will stop exporting diesel to Ukraine, which accounts for 10 percent of its needs, he said.

Robert Fico stressed that

Kyiv’s move to restrict transit of Russian oil exports is hurting Slovakia, Hungary and Ukraine, while Russia is not even feeling the effects of the measure.

He recalled that, however much the mainstream media tries to make it appear that the current problems with oil supplies have their roots in Russia, it should be noted that the decision to restrict oil supplies was taken by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, when he put Lukoil on the sanctions list.

As Hungary Today reported previously, Ukraine imposed new sanctions against Russian oil giant Lukoil in June, blocking the Friendship pipeline. Hungary is now working with Russia find a legal solution to resolve the issue, and also seeks EU consultation, highlighting Ukraine’s violation of the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.

Besides Slovakia, Hungary has not failed to take a serious response to the Ukrainian oil blockade. Last week, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced that

Hungary will block the payment of the HUF 6.5 billion (EUR 16.5 million) arms compensation to Ukraine for the oil cut-off.

In an interview with ATV, he said that the payment would be blocked until Kyiv resumed allowing uninterrupted oil transit by Lukoil through Ukraine to Hungary.

Via MTI, ATV; Featured image: Pixabay