The European Commission (EC) has rejected a request from Hungary and Slovakia to mediate in consultations with Ukraine over oil sanctions imposed by Kiev on Russian oil producer Lukoil.
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| The EU flatly rejected Hungary and Slovakia's request for sanctions on Russian oil for this reason. (Source: Getty Images) |
In a statement on August 23, an EC spokesperson said the Commission had reached a preliminary conclusion that urgent consultations did not appear to be necessary.
Hungary and Slovakia had previously asked the EC for help in resolving the issue after Ukraine imposed sanctions on Lukoil, disrupting oil supplies to the two countries.
Hungary receives up to a third of its annual oil imports from Lukoil, so the Ukrainian sanctions have caused significant damage to the country's energy sector.
However, the EC believes that the Ukrainian sanctions do not pose an urgent energy security threat to Hungary and Slovakia.
The Druzhba pipeline system, which connects Russia to Central European countries via Ukraine, is still operating normally, ensuring oil supplies to the region.
EC Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, in a comment to the media, noted that the EC has been investigating the impact of Ukraine's sanctions on Lukoil and has been gathering information from all parties - Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine and Croatia - to get a complete and accurate picture of the situation.
"The supply of crude oil via the Druzhba pipeline continues and there are no problems that threaten its operation," Dombrovskis said. The EC official also said that the Ukrainian authorities had confirmed that the transportation of crude oil from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia was not affected because Lukoil did not own the oil in question.
Observers commented that the EC's decision could make Hungary and Slovakia unhappy.
However, this is a sign that EU member states need to find their own way to resolve issues related to Ukraine sanctions, as long as their energy supplies are not seriously threatened.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/eu-thang-thung-tu-choi-yeu-cau-cua-hungary-va-slovakia-ve-lenh-trung-phat-dau-nga-vi-ly-do-nay-283719.html
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