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Szijjarto says no alternative to Russian oil supplies to Hungary through Ukraine

Earlier, Ukraine terminated Lukoil’s oil transit through its territory to Hungary and Slovakia because Kiev had put the company on its sanctions list

BUCHAREST, July 24. /TASS/. There is no alternative to supplies of Russian oil to Budapest through Ukrainian territory, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said, adding that the Hungarian side has no infrastructure for replacing them.

"To buy oil or gas from different sources one needs pipes, a built-out infrastructure, and if it's not there, and no-one helps us to acquire it <…> we can't enjoy the freedom diversification gives us," Reuters quoted Szijjarto as saying. This is the reason why there is currently no alternative to supplies of oil from Russia to Budapest through Ukrainian territory, according to the Hungarian minister.

Earlier, Ukraine terminated Lukoil’s oil transit through its territory to Hungary and Slovakia because Kiev had put the company on its sanctions list. Oil from Russia is supplied to those countries via the Druzhba oil pipeline passing through Ukraine. Szijjarto said on Tuesday that Budapest would continue to block the allocation of funds to Ukraine from the European Peace Fund until the problem of Russian oil transit was solved. Budapest and Bratislava have asked the European Commission to mediate a consultation procedure with Kiev due to suspension of transit of Russian oil by Ukraine.