Brussels sees no risk to crude oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia due to Ukrainian sanctions on Russian oil

BRUSSELS, Aug. 1 () –

The European Commission said on Thursday that there was no immediate risk to the security of crude oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia as a result of Ukrainian sanctions on Russian oil and the closure of the Druzhba oil pipeline.

At a press conference in Brussels, EU spokesman Balasz Ujvari explained that the initial report from the European Executive shows that there is no risk to supplies to either Member State and that the volumes of crude oil lost due to sanctions on the Russian oil company Lukoil are being replaced by other means. However, following requests from Budapest and Bratislava, Brussels has requested more information from both countries before closing the case.

“There are alternatives for Hungary and Slovakia and that includes increasing imports through another pipeline from Croatia, which has the capacity to supply both countries. We are continuing discussions with both countries, taking into account their great efforts to diversify supply,” he said.

Brussels has thus closed Hungary’s request for consultations, arguing that there is no risk of supply shortages and that the measure is therefore not seen as necessary. In any case, Ujvari has indicated that the final decision on this case will be made once the Community Executive receives the responses from both Member States on the additional information.

Earlier this Thursday, the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, Valdis Dombrovskis, held a meeting via videoconference with the Ukrainian Prime Minister, Denis Shmigal, with whom he discussed the issue.

“It has been confirmed that ongoing oil transit operations will not be affected as long as Lukoil is not the owner of the oil,” the Latvian politician said in a message on social media regarding the Ukrainian sanctions.

Shmigal stressed that the measures taken by kyiv do not violate the association agreement with the EU. “I welcome the policy of limiting Russian energy resources and the support within the framework of the programme for Ukraine,” he said.

Last June, kyiv adopted sanctions blocking the transit of Russian crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline, considered the longest in the world, sparking fears of a supply shortage in Hungary and Slovakia. Crude oil imports from Russia have been severely limited by European sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine and, according to estimates by the European Commission, now account for only 3% of all crude oil arriving in the EU.