Earlier this year, Indian Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri revealed how the West was weaponizing Russian oil. Last week, we informed you that Hungary and Slovakia were threatening Ukraine for blocking Russian oil. Hungary even threatened to block EU funds meant for military aid to Ukraine in protest. Now, Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary has claimed that it was actually the EU on whose behalf Ukraine was blocking their oil. While Ukraine cites sanctions on Russian company Lukoil for the halt, Szijjarto claims Brussels is using energy resources to blackmail Hungary and Slovakia, both of which have refused to support military aid to Ukraine and advocate for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict.
The European Commission (EC) might be the reason some Russian oil supplies to the EU through Ukraine were stopped, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto suggested on Tuesday. He hinted that this move might specifically target Hungary and Slovakia reports RT.
Earlier this month, Ukraine stopped the flow of crude oil from Russian company Lukoil through the Druzhba pipeline, citing sanctions on the company. This halt has directly affected Hungary and Slovakia, both landlocked countries that rely on this oil.
Szijjarto accused Brussels of being silent despite this threat to the energy security of two EU countries and breaking the EU-Ukraine association agreement. He referred to a deal signed in 2014 after a coup in Ukraine ousted the then-president Viktor Yanukovich.
The Hungarian minister suggested that either the EC is too weak to protect the interests of Slovakia and Hungary or that Brussels, not Kiev, orchestrated this move to pressure the two states. Both Hungary and Slovakia support peace and refuse to send weapons to Ukraine.
After the oil supply halt, Hungary and Slovakia asked the EU for help, but Brussels said it needed time to gather evidence and assess the situation. Szijjarto demanded that the EC and its President Ursula von der Leyen clarify whether Brussels asked Kiev to ban the oil supplies or why it hasn’t taken action in over a week.
Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic rely heavily on Russian energy and were exempt from a 2022 EU-wide ban on Russian oil deliveries. Unlike other EU members, Slovakia and Hungary have refused to support the EU’s policy of supplying military aid to Ukraine during the conflict with Russia. They have consistently called for a diplomatic solution.
In 2018, Ukraine imposed sanctions on Lukoil, banning the company from selling its business, trading, and participating in state property deals in Ukraine. Despite these sanctions, Lukoil continued sending crude via the Druzhba pipeline because those flows weren’t targeted.
Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico recently warned that Slovakia would stop exporting diesel to Ukraine if the oil transit isn’t resumed, emphasizing that Slovakia’s diesel shipments make up 10% of Ukraine’s fuel consumption.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented that Moscow isn’t surprised the EU hasn’t resolved the issue, accusing Brussels of using energy resources to pressure Slovakia and Hungary.
