BRUSSELS — The European Union on Tuesday said it would step in after Hungary and Slovakia accused Ukraine of threatening their oil supplies with its partial ban on Russian crude exports passing through the country.
Kyiv last month adopted sanctions blocking the transit of pipeline crude sold by Moscow’s largest private oil firm, Lukoil, to central Europe, sparking fears of supply shortages in Budapest and Bratislava.
On Monday, Hungary and Slovakia sent a letter to the European Commission asking the EU’s executive to begin talks with Ukraine, a precursor to legal action, arguing the measure violated a 2014 association agreement between Brussels and Kyiv.
Commission spokesperson Olof Gill told POLITICO that the EU executive was “currently studying the contents of this letter,” while adding that it “stands ready to support the impact of [EU] member states in finding a solution together with Ukraine.”
