Poland calls on Germany to support EU sanctions against Druzhba pipeline

Reuters reports this. 

It is noted that Warsaw can refuse to buy Russian oil without paying fines. For this, Poland called on Germany to introduce EU sanctions on the Polish-German section of the Druzhba oil pipeline.

If the EU imposes sanctions on Druzhba, which provides Poland and Germany, both countries will be able to get out of their obligations to import Russian oil. The southern section of the pipeline supplies Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, which, unlike Poland and Germany, will find it difficult to diversify their oil imports.

The EU has pledged to stop buying Russian oil via sea routes from December 5, but currently the Druzhba oil pipeline is not subject to sanctions. This poses a problem for Polish refinery Orlen, which has a long-term contract to buy Russian oil via pipeline and will have to pay fines for breaching the contract.

The Ministry of Climate of Poland and the Ministry of Economy of Germany are in the final stage of negotiations on a memorandum of understanding on oil logistics.