Slovak PM criticizes sanctions against Ukraine’s Lukoil as oil flow stops

Slovakia will not be a “hostage” to Ukraine-Russia relations, its Prime Minister Robert Fico told his Ukrainian counterpart in a call on Saturday (July 20), after kyiv placed Russian group Lukoil on a sanctions list, halting deliveries.

Slovakia and Hungary announced this week that they had stopped receiving oil from their main supplier Lukoil after Ukraine last month imposed a ban on the transit of the Russian energy company’s resources through its territory.

For Slovakia, this means a loss of some supplies to its Slovnaft refinery, which is owned by Hungarian oil and gas group MOL.

The Slovak government office said Saturday that Fico spoke by phone with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and told him that Slovakia had no intention “of being a hostage to Ukrainian-Russian relations.”

Slovnaft will receive 40% less oil than needed for processing, the government said, which will affect Slovak markets and could also lead to a halt in Slovnaft’s diesel deliveries to Ukraine.

“The inclusion of Lukoil in the sanctions list is just another example of senseless sanctions that do not harm the Russian Federation but mainly some (European Union) member states, which is unacceptable,” Fico’s office said.

Fico has long been critical of sanctions against Russia and, after taking office for the fourth time last year, he suspended direct state military aid to Ukraine, drawing criticism for steering his foreign policy too close to Moscow.

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While the EU has already imposed sanctions on Russian oil, some countries like Slovakia are being granted exemptions to give them more time to switch to alternative sources.