Ukraine reaffirms sanctions against Lukoil and responds to Slovakia’s concerns

Denys Shmyhal, Ukrainian Prime Minister, stated that Ukraine will not lift sanctions against Russia’s Lukoil and emphasized that these sanctions do not threaten Slovakia.

Instead, Shmyhal pointed out that the real threat to Slovakia’s energy security comes from “Russia, its hybrid energy war against the Slovak people, its blackmail, and political ultimatums.”

Sanctions against Lukoil don’t pose a threat to Slovakia – Shmyhal

The imposed sanctions do not pose a threat to the energy security of Slovakia or other European countries, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal. He said that, in recent weeks, he has had several discussions with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, all focusing on energy security.

“Slovakia is our reliable partner, from whom we do not expect blackmail or threats. Threatening Ukraine, which is defending itself from an aggressor, to allow the terrorist state to continue earning its bloody excess profits is a dubious way,” Shmyhal added.

“The sanctions imposed by Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council pose no threat to Slovakia’s or Europe’s overall energy security, which is why lifting them is not a matter for discussion. So we have a full understanding from Brussels in this matter,” he stressed.

Hungary’s threats

Recently, it was reported that Russian oil from Lukoil had stopped arriving in Hungary and Slovakia. Ukraine’s ban on transit through its territory, despite imposing sanctions against Ukraine back in 2018, was the reason.

Following this, Hungary declared that Ukraine’s decision was allegedly unacceptable. Péter Szijjártó, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, threatened Ukraine with arbitration if the EU consultations failed to reach an agreement.

However, consultations did not commence, and the European Commission has yet to decide on this matter.

Slovakia’s threats

Meanwhile, Slovakia threatened to halt diesel fuel exports to Ukraine if the Russian oil transit was not restored.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, during a meeting with Myroslav Kastran, the Ukrainian ambassador to Slovakia, threatened to stop the supply of diesel fuel to Ukraine if Kyiv did not resume the Russian Lukoil company’s oil transit.

On Facebook, Fico stated that he discussed Lukoil exports with Ukrainian Ambassador Myroslav Kastran. Juraj Blanár, Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Marek Etok, Slovakia’s Secretary of State, were also present at the meeting.

“If the transit of Russian oil through Ukraine is not resumed shortly, Slovnaft [the Slovakian oil refining company] will not resume the supply of diesel fuel to Ukraine, which covers a tenth of Ukrainian consumption,” he said.

Fico added that a “technical decision” was involved in the resumption of the Russian oil supply, but several countries must simultaneously coordinate it.

Hungary and Slovakia were the exceptions to the all-European ban on the import of Russian oil following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, recently, Kyiv ordered a halt to the transit of Russian oil company Lukoil’s oil products through the Druzhba oil pipeline.

Ukraine insists that other Russian companies are transferring the same amount of oil through the pipeline as before. Hungary and Slovakia claim that Kyiv’s decision put their energy security under threat.