Hungary and Slovakia on February 18 announced the temporary suspension of diesel oil exports to Ukraine, citing the need to ensure domestic energy security after the transfer of Russian crude oil through the Druzhba oil pipeline was stopped.
According to information from the two governments, oil transit from Russia to Hungary and Slovakia has been stopped since January 27. Regional media reported that the pipeline section on Ukrainian territory was damaged after a Russian airstrike.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó declared: "The delivery of diesel oil to Ukraine has been stopped. And will not resume until Ukraine restores the transportation of crude oil through the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary.
Mr. Szijjártó said that Kiev has enough means and time to repair the pipeline, but the delay is "a political decision", even accusing it of being an action taken by the Ukrainian President himself. Hungary also criticized Ukraine for using energy as a tool for political pressure.
In Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico also announced similar measures. The state-controlled Slovnaft refinery will stop diesel exports to prioritize domestic supply. At the same time, Slovakia has released 250,000 tons of oil from emergency reserves to stabilize the domestic market.
Slovnaft will stop exporting diesel to Ukraine and other markets. All processed output in Slovakia will be for the domestic market," Mr. Fico affirmed.
Both Budapest and Bratislava emphasized that they have sufficient fuel reserves, but temporary export suspensions are necessary to compensate for the shortage of Russian crude oil.
This tension once again exposes the deep conflict between the two European Union member governments that continue to import large volumes of Russian oil through Ukraine, with Kiev - which has repeatedly called on European countries to completely abandon energy from Moscow.
Hungary and Slovakia also proposed that the European Commission allow the transportation of Russian crude oil through Croatian ports for transit to Hungary. However, Croatia had previously rejected this proposal on the grounds that the transit of Russian oil could violate US sanctions.
The European Commission on February 18 said that the energy security of Hungary and Slovakia is not threatened, citing the fact that these two countries are maintaining sufficient reserves.
Meanwhile, Ukraine is facing one of the most serious energy crises since the conflict broke out.
Russian attacks in the winter have caused heavy damage to electricity and fuel infrastructure, further depleting already strained domestic supply.
The tightening of diesel supplies by the two EU neighbors at a sensitive time is predicted to put more pressure on Kiev, and at the same time increase internal rifts in Europe regarding how to deal with Russian energy amid the current complex geopolitical context.
