Ukraine’s Deputy Energy Minister, Roman Andarak, has announced that Ukraine is ready to resolve oil transit issues with Slovakia in line with the European Union association agreement. This move comes after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico threatened to halt diesel supplies to Ukraine unless Kyiv restores oil flows from Russia’s Lukoil.
According to Andarak, Ukraine guarantees oil transit for companies that are not subject to sanctions and is willing to resolve transit issues with Slovakia under the EU association agreement. However, he noted that Slovakia has yet to activate the relevant mechanism in the agreement.
The dispute arose after Ukraine imposed sanctions against Lukoil in late June, banning it from activity on Ukrainian territory and stopping its oil from passing to Slovak and Hungarian refineries. Slovakia and Hungary have been stepping up pressure since Kyiv’s sanctions on Lukoil, with Fico threatening to halt diesel supplies to Ukraine.
Despite the tensions, Andarak assured that Ukraine continues to be a reliable partner for the EU in oil transit services, and that oil deliveries through Ukraine from other Russian suppliers have not been interrupted. The joint share of Slovakia and Hungary in diesel supplies to Ukraine is about 10%, which Ukrainian analysts say could be covered from other sources.
The development comes as Ukraine continues to navigate its complex relationships with neighboring countries amidst the ongoing conflict with Russia. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing
