The dispute over oil supplies to Central Europe further escalated today, after Croatia warned of requests from Hungary and Slovakia for additional quantities of Russian oil.
The Druzhba oil pipeline, which has been supplying Hungary and Slovakia from Russia via Ukraine since the 1960s, has been closed since January 27th.
Ukraine said the suspension was the result of a Russian attack on infrastructure, while Hungary and Slovakia accuse Kiev of deliberately withholding deliveries.
The stalemate comes ahead of elections in Hungary on April 12, in which Prime Minister Viktor Orban, after 16 years in power, is trailing his opponents according to polls.
Orban is an outspoken opponent of Ukraine's bid for European Union membership, and Hungary and Slovakia maintained working relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin during the nearly four years of war.
Hungary and Slovakia on Monday asked Croatia to help secure deliveries of Russian oil by sea via the Adria oil pipeline (JANAF).
Croatian Economy Minister Ante Šušnjar said that more oil could be transported along this route, but stressed that it should not be of Russian origin.
"A barrel purchased from Russia may seem cheaper to some countries, but it helps finance the war and attacks on the Ukrainian people," Šušnjar wrote in a post on the X network.
Hungarian oil company MOL did not respond to emailed questions from Reuters.
Slovakia confirmed today that, together with Hungary, it has asked Croatia to ensure deliveries of Russian oil via the Adria oil pipeline (JANAF).
Hungary and Slovakia have also started talks about releasing some of their oil from their emergency reserves. Under EU law, they are required to hold 90 days of supplies.
"There are no short-term risks to security of supply," said a European Commission spokesperson, adding that Brussels is also in contact with Ukraine regarding the deadlines for repairing the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Although the EU, after the outbreak of the war, imposed sanctions on the import of Russian oil by sea, Hungary and Slovakia, as landlocked countries, have exemptions that would allow them to purchase Russian oil delivered by sea if the pipeline supply is interrupted.
Czech Economy Minister Karel Havlicek also said his country could offer smaller quantities of oil to Slovakia, via the eastward flow of the Druzhba pipeline, after western flows from Ukraine were suspended.
US sanctions do not prohibit European countries from importing Russian crude oil, but Washington's latest measures targeting leading Russian exporters Rosneft and Lukoil could complicate any plans that would involve using the Croatian port of Omišalj or the Adria oil pipeline.
US sanctions against the majority Russian-owned Oil Industry of Serbia (NIS) prevented the pipeline operator from delivering crude oil to the refinery late last year.
The US Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control later issued the refinery a temporary permit that allowed it to continue operating.
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