Hungary seeks EU mediation over halted Lukoil oil transit through Ukraine
Photo: Hungary asks the EU to mediate its dispute with Ukraine (Getty Images)
Hungary wants the European Union to act as a mediator to resolve the situation with the supply of oil by the Russian company Lukoil through Ukraine, according to Bloomberg.
As the agency reports, the European Commission has convened a meeting of the trade committee for today, July 24, to discuss the controversial situation, which Hungary and Slovakia claim threatens their energy security.
Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said that the European Commission has started collecting evidence and will monitor oil flows. She also warned of the Kremlin's potential role in escalating the dispute.
“The most important aspect of this is that we have to be ready for unilateral decision potentially made by Russia. They are not a trustworthy trading partner,” Simson said.
What preceded it
Earlier, Ukraine stopped transiting Lukoil oil to Hungary and Slovakia. This caused a scandal in the countries, as they receive a third and more than 40% of all oil from the Russian company.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that Kyiv's decision threatened the energy security of his country.
The official suggested that his country would start a consultation procedure with the European Commission to resolve the problem. But, according to him, if they fail to reach an agreement, an arbitration may be started.
