Ukrainian PM explains Kyiv's position on Lukoil sanctions to EU Commission
Photo: Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal (Vitalii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
In a conversation with European Commission Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis, Prime Minister of Ukraine Denys Shmyhal explained Kyiv's position on fair sanctions against Russia's Lukoil, which is banned from transporting oil through Ukraine.
"Sanctions imposed by Ukraine do not violate the Association Agreement with the EU, and the reaction of the Slovak and Hungarian sides is extremely politicized and manipulative,” he writes.
According to him, Ukraine is always open to constructive cooperation with EU member states, including Hungary and Slovakia.
Shmyhal notes that the real threat to these countries comes from Russia, which is trying to avoid fair sanctions through energy blackmail.
“And we are grateful to the European Commission for the policy of limiting Russian energy resources and supporting EU countries that are actively diversifying their energy flows,” Ukraine's Prime Minister wrote.
Sanctions against Lukoil
In July, Hungary and Slovakia announced that they would stop supplying oil from the Russian company Lukoil through Ukraine due to Kyiv's sanctions against the company. Kyiv insists that the same amount of oil is being shipped through the pipeline as before, thanks to other Russian companies.
Hungary and Slovakia asked the European Commission to start consultations on a trade agreement with Ukraine. However, Valdis Dombrovskis, the EU trade commissioner, said that Brussels would need more time to gather evidence and assess the legal situation. He was supported by all EU countries that participated in the meeting on July 24.
