Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said in a telephone conversation with his Ukrainian counterpart Denis Shmigal that his country will not be "hostage" of relations between Moscow and Kiev after Ukraine imposed sanctions on "Lukoil", which led to the suspension of supplies to the Russian oil giant, reported Reuters.
Slovakia and Hungary this week said they stopped receiving oil from their key supplier Lukoil after Ukraine last month banned the transit of resources from the Russian energy company through its territory, BTA recalls.
The office of the Slovak government announced today that Fico spoke by phone with the Ukrainian prime minister, to whom he stressed that Bratislava does not intend to "be a hostage to Ukrainian-Russian relations".
The Slovak refinery "Slovnaft" (Slovnaft) will receive 40% less oil for processing than needed, which will affect Slovakian markets and may lead to the suspension of diesel fuel supplies from "Slovnaft" for Ukraine, stated the press release of the government in Bratislava.
"The inclusion of "Lukoil" in the list of sanctions is just another example of the senseless restrictions that harm not the Russian Federation, but mainly some member countries (of the EU), which is unacceptable," the text reads.
Fizo has long criticized sanctions against Russia, and after taking office as prime minister for a fourth term last year, he suspended direct military aid to Ukraine. The move drew criticism that Fico was tying his foreign policy too closely to Moscow.
Although the EU has already imposed sanctions on Russian crude oil, some countries such as Slovakia have been granted a reprieve on the embargo to give them more time to switch to alternative sources, Reuters recalls.