BUDAPEST: The idea of blocking Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia belongs not to Kyiv, but to Brussels. The European Commission needs this to blackmail peace-loving countries, said Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto,
The decision to suspend the transit of Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia was devised not in Kiev but in Brussels to blackmail the countries seeking peace, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
"More than a week has passed, but the European Commission has done nothing. There are only two scenarios. The European Commission is either too weak to make the candidate country (Ukraine) respect the fundamental interests of the two EU member states, or this whole thing was invented not in Kiev, but in Brussels, and not the Ukrainian government, but the European Commission wants to blackmail the two countries standing for peace," the top diplomat wrote on his Facebook page (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which is designated as extremist).
"The European Commission and personally Ursula von der Leyen must immediately give an answer whether it was they who instructed Kiev to block oil supplies. And if not, why the European Commission did not take any action within a week," the foreign minister added.
Szijjarto reiterated that the suspension of the transit of Russian oil undermined the energy security of the two EU states and was a direct violation of the association agreement with the EU.
European Commission passivity
On December 5, 2022, the European Commission banned Russian oil shipments to EU countries as part of sanctions against Russia, but Hungary and Slovakia secured the right to receive Russian oil through the pipeline until the end of 2025. This reservation was actively opposed by the European Commission.
On July 17, Ukraine stopped the transit of oil from Lukoil to Hungary and Slovakia in accordance with its sanctions against the Russian company. Oil from Russia is supplied to these countries through the Druzhba pipeline that runs through Ukraine.
Budapest and Bratislava demanded the immediate start of consultations with Ukraine with the mediation of the European Commission. Under the EU rules, every member country must have hydrocarbon fuel reserves enough for autonomous existence for 90 days.
The European Commission has not taken any action in this regard. European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill said the EC was continuing to gather information. He cautioned Hungary and Slovakia against any unilateral retaliatory measures, such as cutting off electricity supplies to Kiev, emphasizing that in the EU only the European Commission has the right to make decisions on foreign trade disputes.Ä
He also noted that the cessation of oil supplies undermines the energy security of Hungary and Slovakia and is a direct violation of the association agreement with the EU.
On July 17, Peter Szijjarto announced the stoppage of Russian oil transit through Ukrainian territory. At the same time, he noted that Hungary is working to resume supplies.
Earlier, the Prime Minister of Slovakia proposed a solution to Ukraine on oil transit from the Russian Federation.
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