– Until Ukraine will not resolve this issue and will threaten the security of our energy supplies,everyone should forget about the payment of 6.5 billion euros in compensation for arms transfer from the EPF” – the head of Hungarian diplomacy told ATV television on Tuesday.
Oil deliveries from Russia's Lukoil were suspended by Ukraine last week. According to Szijjarto “33 proc. import of crude oil to Hungary and around 40-45 proc. import of crude oil on Slovakia comes from supplies from the Russian concern Lukoil via Ukraine.”
Hungary. Resumption of oil supplies via Ukraine. “EC should press”
The Hungarian Foreign Minister added that the scenario of replacing Lukoil with another company cannot be considered just because the current solution is not to the liking of the Ukrainian side. The politician stated that in the future Kyiv may do the same in relation to another company.
– European Commission should put pressure on Ukraineto allow Lukoil to resume oil supplies via Ukraine, Szijjarto said.
Hungary and Slovakia want European Union initiated a consultation procedure with Ukraine on Kiev imposing sanctions on Lukoil and suspending deliveries of Russian crude oil to Slovak and Hungarian refineries. The Hungarian Foreign Minister announced that otherwise will take the case to court.
The disbursement of EPF funds has been blocked by Hungary for months. Since the Russian attack on Ukraine, this instrument arms purchases for Kiev are financed. Purchases are made by member states, after which they can apply for refund from the EU budget. However, the allocation of subsequent tranches of funds to the EPF must be unanimously approved by the EU countries.
War in Ukraine. Kiev stops oil flows to Slovakia and Hungary
The decision of the authorities in Kiev to temporarily suspend the transit of Russian oil through the pipeline is related to sanctions imposed by the local government on the Lukoil company. The representative of Bratislava, Juraj Blanar, has already reacted to the situation.
“We do not agree to the transformation Slovakia into a political instrument against Hungarians or any other country. We will defend ourselves resolutely and use all the possibilities of European law, and at the same time we will defend the interests of our sovereign nation state” wrote Juraj Blanar, head of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of Slovakia.
“The measures introduced by Ukraine due to the cessation of crude oil transit from Russia We consider the gas supplied by Lukoil to Slovakia and Hungary to be a clear violation of the Association Agreement between the EU and Ukraine,” he added.
He therefore appealed that together with the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs he contacted the European Commission with an urgent call for action on this matter.
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