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Blocking of Lukoil’s oil supplies not affecting Russian interests — Slovak PM

"If supplies of Russian oil via Ukraine are not resumed as soon as practicable, Slovnaft will stop supplying refined oil, whose volumes cover one tenth of Ukrainian needs," Robert Fico stated

BRATISLAVA, July 29. /TASS/. Blocking of oil supplies of the Russian producer Lukoil by Kiev will hurt Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary and will not affect Russian interests, Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico said in his video address to citizens posted on his page in Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to ownership by Meta recognized in Russia as extremist).

"Further performance of this senseless action [of Ukraine against Russia] will prejudice only Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary and will not actually affect Russia," Fico said. "If supplies of Russian oil via Ukraine are not resumed as soon as practicable, Slovnaft [one of the largest refineries in Central Europe, located in Bratislava] will stop supplying [refined] oil, whose [volumes] cover one tenth of Ukrainian needs," he said.

Fico said he had "repeated telephone talks" with his Ukrainian counterpart Denis Shmygal in connection with the evolved situation and met Ukrainian Ambassador in Bratislava with participation of senior officials of the Slovak Foreign Ministry. Bratislava is paying the highest attention to this problem and insists on resumption of supplies.

"The fact is that we are short of a portion of oil," the prime minister said. "Interests of Slovakia and its residents are in the first place for us [Slovak authorities]," he noted.

"The problem with the Ukrainian transit of Russian oil cannot change our [Slovak] position in respect of the war in Ukraine. It should be promptly ended by a truce instead of extending artificially with the unreal goal of bringing Russia to its knees and the real goal to pad pockets of death merchants [with cash] even more," Fico added.

Ukraine halted transit of oil of Lukoil via its territory to Hungary and Slovakia because of its inclusion into the black list by Kiev.

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Ukraine crisis Slovakia

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