Halting Russian oil transit via Ukraine would violate EU pacts, Ukraine’s PM says

According to Shmyhal, the oil transit also aligns with the terms of the EU’s 6th sanctions package from June 3, 2022, which grants exemptions for Hungary and Slovakia to continue purchasing Russian oil and supplying it to their refineries via pipelines.

"Thus, halting the transit of oil via the Druzhba pipeline would directly violate Ukraine’s commitments under the Energy Charter Treaty and the EU Association Agreement. It’s not about penalties but rather about breaching the Association Agreement with the EU," Shmyhal emphasized.

He added that Ukraine's failure to meet its international obligations concerning transit security could provide sufficient grounds for countries like Hungary, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic to hold Ukraine accountable for halting reliable oil transit, potentially leading to financial claims.

"This would result in an international arbitration case. The affected countries will calculate the damages and demand compensation, which will likely involve significant sanctions and large sums of money," the prime minister said.

• On January 7, a draft law was registered in the Verkhovna Rada proposing a ban on the transit of Russian oil and gas through Ukraine during martial law. However, it is not currently on the agenda.