Slovakia has no problem importing non-Russian oil and gas, provided it has sufficient transport routes. Economy Minister Denisa Saková (Hlas-SD) stated this after Wednesday’s government meeting in response to remarks by U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, who warned that Slovakia and Hungary could face consequences if they continue buying Russian oil.
“On Monday (September 15), I met with the U.S. Secretary of Energy in Vienna during a conference. We also discussed President Donald Trump’s statements that Slovakia and Hungary should stop importing not only Russian gas but also Russian oil. I clearly explained to him that we must first have the conditions in place so as not to completely cut off our industry and economy. Currently, after the closure of the gas pipeline or the lack of renewed gas supplies via Ukraine, we are a country at the end of every pipeline; previously we were at the beginning, now we are at the end,” Saková explained.
According to Saková, Slovakia is diversifying its gas supplies and intends to continue doing so in the future. “However, we must rely on the transmission capacities available from other routes regarding gas transit. We are at the mercy of neighboring countries and their projects aimed at increasing transmission capacities,” she clarified. “The same applies to oil. If we have an alternative route for transporting oil to Slovakia and Hungary, whether via the Adriatic or the south, and if the transmission capacities are sufficient, Slovakia and Hungary have no problem diversifying. It is a question of whether we have the means to push these energy carriers through,” Saková added.
U.S. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham on Tuesday (September 16) warned Slovakia and Hungary of potential consequences if they continue purchasing Russian oil, posting the warning on social media platform X.
U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday (September 13) expressed his readiness to impose broad sanctions on Russia if all NATO member states comply and stop buying Russian oil. On Sunday (September 14), he emphasized that it did not matter whether it was oil or other products. “They should not buy from Russia, whether it is natural gas or cigarettes, I don’t care,” he stated.
Graham agreed with Trump’s demand but also noted as positive that European countries have significantly reduced their purchases of Russian fossil fuels in recent years.
Source: TASR
