Russian oil shipments to central Europe expected to resume

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia –

After a payment problem was resolved, oil shipments from Russia via a crucial pipeline to several European countries will resume soon, Slovakia’s Economy Minister Richard Sullik stated. said Wednesday

Sulik stated, “I anticipate the oil shipment to resume within hours.” said.

Russian state pipeline operator Transneft said Tuesday’s stoppage of shipment through the southern part of the Druzhba (or Friendship) pipeline was due to Transneft. It runs through Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary and Czech Republic. Transneft said that the Druzhba northern leg, which runs from Belarus through Germany and Poland to Germany, was unaffected. said.

Transneft stated that its August 4th action was complicated by sanctions by the European Union and that its payment to its Ukrainian counterpart was rejected.

Sulik said After both the Russian and Ukrainian sides reached an agreement, Slovak refiner Slovnaft will make the payments Wednesday. Hungary’s MOL energy company owns Slovnaft.

MOL confirmed that the money was transferred.

The Druzhba Pipeline is the main conduit for Slovakia’s oil. Sulik said The payment amount is approximately 9–10million euros (or up to US$10.2million).

He said His country would seek a long-term solution for the problem that he identified. said The reason for this was the refusal of a bank in Western Europe to transfer money to Russia because of sanctions imposed by EU on Russia during its war against Ukraine.

Sulik said, “I wouldn’t look at a political context behind this, there’s no.” said.

Simone Tagliapietra is an energy expert at the Bruegel think-tank in Brussels. said Russia has used technical issues to weaponize natural gas headed to Europe, raising questions about whether it could do the same with oil.

Russia blames equipment repairs for cutting flows through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline from Germany. Germany’s government calls it a political move to create uncertainty and increase prices during the conflict in Ukraine.

In May, EU leaders decided to end all Russian oil imports by the close of the year. This was part of its sanctions against Moscow’s invasion and occupation of Ukraine.

Although the embargo applies to Russian oil imported by sea, it allows Druzhba pipeline deliveries to Hungary and certain landlocked central European countries such as Slovakia or the Czech Republic.