Ukraine agrees to transit Russian oil purchased by European companies — Prime Minister
Denis Shmygal emphasized that Kiev was not in talks and did not plan to conduct negotiations with Moscow on extending agreements on the transit of Russian oil and gas
MOSCOW, September 10. /TASS/. Ukraine is ready to transit Russian oil through its territory if it is purchased by companies from Europe, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal announced.
"The [Hungarian] company MOL stated that it is the owner of the product that transits through Ukraine, this suits us. <...> That is not a Russian company. The Ukrainian transit company transits the European product and receives a market price for it," he said at a press conference broadcast on the YouTube channel of the Ukrainian government.
Shmygal added that Kiev is not in talks and does not plan to conduct negotiations with Moscow on extending agreements on the transit of Russian oil and gas. However, the official admitted that the EU can independently hold negotiations on gas supplies from a third country.
On September 9, it was reported that the Hungarian energy concern MOL had agreed to supply Russian oil via the Druzhba pipeline to Hungary and Slovakia in compliance with the current EU and Ukrainian sanctions.
Earlier, Ukrainian presidential office adviser Mikhail Podolyak said that "from January 1, 2025, the Druzhba oil pipeline will cease to operate." He recalled that Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic currently receive oil through it. Podolyak also noted that, in accordance with the consolidated decision of the European Union, these countries were to find a way to diversify oil supplies and stop its export from Russia through Ukraine by 2025. Later, Podolyak explained that Ukraine will fulfill all its contractual obligations in full. In turn, the head of the Ukrainian Naftogaz, Alexey Chernyshov, reported that Kiev is not going to stop the transit of Russian oil through its territory. Naftogaz owns 100% of the shares of Ukrtransnafta, which ensures the transit of oil through Ukraine, including through the Druzhba pipeline. Under the contract between Ukrtransnafta and Russian operator Transneft, Kiev is obliged to carry out oil transit until January 1, 2030. Naftogaz's agreement with Gazprom on Russian gas transit expires at the end of this year.