Hungary Not Getting Russian Oil Through Friendship Pipeline
- 10 Aug 2022 11:13 AM
- HungarianPolitics.com
The delivery of Russian crude oil to Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia via the “Friendship” crude oil pipeline stopped last Thursday, several domestic and foreign media sources have reported. Quoting Bloomberg sources, Telex writes that as a result of sanctions, Russia is unable to pay the necessary transit fees.
Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported that Ukrainian state oil pipeline operator UkrTransNafta had shut down oil deliveries from Russia to the three EU member states. Russian oil traveling via Belarus continues to reach Poland and Germany.
Russian pipeline transport company Transneft is allegedly unable to pay transit fees to UkrTransNafta, which demands payment in advance, because of EU sanctions. Transfers to the account of the Ukrainian company were reversed by the banking system, the Russian company said.
“Gazprombank, which handles the payments, has informed us that the payment was returned in accordance with EU regulations, namely the seventh sanctions package,” Transneft announced in a statement.
Transneft is currently looking for alternative ways to pay the transit fees so that it can continue to deliver Russian crude oil to Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia.
The availability of cheap Russian crude is what allows Hungary to maintain its official price cap of 480 Ft./liter for regular gasoline at the pump.
State oil and gas company MOL told HVG that although they had enough crude oil reserves for several weeks, the company was working to find a solution to the problem, and “has initiated negotiations on taking over the fee obligations.”
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