Slovakia Threatens to Halt Diesel Supplies to Ukraine Amidst Oil Dispute

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced the potential suspension of diesel supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv doesn't resume the flow of oil from Russian company Lukoil. Slovakia, along with Hungary, has pressured Ukraine to remove Lukoil from its sanctions list, highlighting ongoing EU dependencies on Russian energy.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced on Monday that his country would halt diesel supplies to Ukraine if Kyiv fails to restore oil flows from the Russian group Lukoil through its territory.

Slovakia and Hungary, both opposing western allies' military aid to Ukraine as it battles Russia, have intensified pressure since Kyiv placed Lukoil on a sanctions list last month, disrupting oil transit to Slovak and Hungarian refineries. Fico warned in a Facebook video message, 'If the transit of Russian crude through Ukraine is not renewed in a short time, (Slovak refiner) Slovnaft will not continue in supplies of diesel to Ukraine.'

He noted that oil deliveries from other Russian suppliers have not been interrupted and Slovak deliveries account for about a tenth of Ukraine's diesel consumption. Fico proposed a technical solution to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal on Friday, though details remain vague. 'I welcome reports that relevant trading firms are already thinking about how to implement this technical solution in the shortest possible time,' Fico stated.

The dispute underscores the reliance of some EU countries on Russian energy, despite efforts to curb oil imports from Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine. Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have exemptions on the ban for Russian pipeline oil to provide time to find alternatives.

(With inputs from agencies.)