WP: Ukraine plans to keep the transit of energy resources from Russia

Ukraine does not plan to refuse the transit of Russian energy resources through its territory. About it informs newspaper The Washington Post.

The publication writes that the working group on anti-Russian sanctions, headed by the head of the presidential administration of Ukraine Andriy Yermak and former US ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul, proposed an action plan last month that provides for the cessation of all pipelines under Russian control, except for those that pass through Ukraine. The newspaper notes that “the plan explicitly calls for the preservation of the transit of Russian energy carriers through Ukraine.”

The author of the material writes that Ukraine insists that it has no choice and lobbies for its commercial deals, explaining that “they provide some leverage on the Kremlin and help limit the places where the Russian military launches airstrikes.”

“Russian energy resources passing through the territory of Ukraine bring millions of dollars to the Kremlin. But Kyiv also needs the money it earns from transit,” the article says. The newspaper also notes that due to the stoppage of transit, some of the countries may face rising prices, and Ukraine wants to be a reliable partner of European states.

In March, the pipeline operator Ukrtransnafta informed, which plans to increase the cost of Russian oil transit through the Druzhba pipeline through Ukraine to 27.2 euros per ton. According to Kommersant sources, Kyiv may raise the tariff for the second time since the beginning of the year due to the cost of restoring the oil transportation infrastructure.

At the end of 2022, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Mikhail Galuzin pointed outthat Russia intends to keep pumping oil through the pipeline that runs through Ukraine to Eastern Europe, and the volume of supplies to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic will remain at the level of 2022.

Russian oil supplies to Europe came under sanctions after the start of a special military operation in Ukraine, but the European Union made an exception for transit along the southern branch of Druzhba to Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. An exception for the Czech Republic will be valid until the end of 2023, for Hungary and Slovakia no deadline has been set.