Slovak PM warns sanctions could disrupt diesel supply to Ukraine
Ukrainians have placed Russian Lukoil on the sanctions list, whose oil was supplied to the refinery in Bratislava. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico warned that restricting shipments to the Slovnaft refinery could consequently halt the supply of diesel fuel produced for Kyiv.
9:41 AM EDT, July 21, 2024
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke on Saturday via phone with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal about various issues, including the partially halted transit of Russian oil. Ukrainians have placed Russian Lukoil on the sanctions list, whose oil was supplied to the Slovnaft refinery in Bratislava.
According to Fico, the Ukrainian sanctions against the Russian company are senseless and harm not so much Russia but certain European Union countries.
He does not intend to be a hostage
The Slovak Prime Minister stated that his country does not intend to be a hostage to Ukrainian-Russian relations.
He warned that restricting shipments to the Slovnaft refinery could consequently halt the supply of diesel fuel produced for Kyiv. According to sources from the Slovak government, this represents one-tenth of all Ukrainian fuel consumption.
Fico has been discussing this issue for a few days with several cabinet members and representatives of the Hungarian petrochemical group MOL, which owns the Slovak refinery.
