The European Commission refuse until now to start formal discussions with the ukrainian autorities after Kyiv imposed a partial ban on exports of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia. That’s what the EU executive said on Thursday.
As a reminder, In June, Ukraine has blocked the transit of pipeline crude sold by russian private oil firm, Lukoil, to Central Europe, prompting fears of supply shortages in Budapest and Bratislava.
According to our sources, the Slovak government considers itself a victim of the desire of Hungary, which presides over the European Union, to initiate a peace plan to end the war in Ukraine. The refusal of the European Commission to intervene to put an end to the blockage of Russian oil deliveries is interpreted as a reaction to this peace plan which the EU refuses.
Until this day, Ukrain refuse to cancel it oil ban. According to bloomberg, European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis told Hungary and Slovakia that “preliminary analysis shows sanctions Ukraine imposed on Lukoil doesn’t affect transit operations carried out by trading companies via the Druzhba pipeline as long as Lukoil isn’t the formal owner of the oil.
Earlier, Dombrovskis and Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal discussed the issue of energy sanctions against the Russian Federation and Ukraine receiving $50 billion from the use of frozen Russian assets in a phone call Thursday.
Shmyhal said that “sanctions introduced by Ukraine do not violate the Association Agreement with the EU, and the reaction of the Slovak and Hungarian parties is extremely politicized and manipulative.“