Hungarian foreign minister outraged over Ukraine stopping oil transit of Russian Lukoil

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto described Ukraine's decision to halt the transportation of Russian Lukoil oil to Hungary "incomprehensible and unacceptable" and intends to address the issue at an EU Council meeting. Source: Szijjarto's statement published by Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs, as reported by European Pravda  Details: Szijjarto condemned Ukraine's decision to halt Lukoil's oil transit to Hungary, calling it "incomprehensible and unacceptable".

He stated that Hungary has identified temporary decisions to stabilise supply, but they are unsuitable for the long term, and a "swift resolution" is required.

Szijjarto emphasised that Hungary and Slovakia rely heavily on oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, with approximately 2 million tonnes received annually from Lukoil. Quote: "This decision seriously jeopardises the long-term oil supply security of Hungary and Slovakia," the Hungarian foreign minister said.

He encouraged Ukraine to respond and stated that he intends to address the matter at a meeting of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs. "It's peculiar that an EU-aspiring country is endangering the energy supply of two EU member states, especially in the summer when energy consumption is at its peak," Szijjarto complains.

On 18 July, Slovakia and Hungary said that they had stopped receiving oil from the Russian Lukoil corporation after Ukraine strengthened sanctions against the corporation. Ukraine imposed limited sanctions on Russia's Lukoil in 2018, but those sanctions covered only the withdrawal of Ukrainian capital, restrictions on trade, and a ban on participation in the privatisation or lease of state property in Ukraine. In June 2024, Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council expanded the sanctions against Lukoil, adding, among other things, a ban on transit of its oil via Ukraine.

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