Czech Republic spends €7bn on Russian fuel despite sanctions
14 October 2024 21:11
The Czech Republic has provided significant discounts on Russian fuel to its oil refineries, which have earned more than a billion euros in extra profits. Politico writes about this in its article, "Komersant Ukrainian" reports.
Russian fuel costs much less than alternatives, and there are other ways to supply fuel. For example, the Polish company Orlen Unipetrol took advantage of this opportunity.
However, analysts point out that the Czech Republic has alternatives to meet its oil needs, such as the Transalpine and Adria pipelines, and can increase imports and extraction of oil reserves.
Media reports indicate that the Czech Republic’s dependence on Russian oil has actually increased to 60%, although the government intended to phase out purchases from Russia. One analyst points out that the Czech Republic already has sufficient oil reserves and can completely abandon Russian exports.
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s sanctions envoy Vladyslav Vlasiuk expressed disappointment that friendly states are still using Russian energy resources.
“The exemptions granted by the EU to some of its member states were not intended to increase dependence on Russian oil, but rather to find alternative fuel routes,” Vlasyuk said.
In its defence, the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade notes that the country is seeking to reduce its dependence on Russian fuel as soon as possible, but cannot control the decisions of the private company Orlen Unipetrol, which imports Russian oil.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Orlen Unipetrol told Politico that the company complies with all applicable national and international laws and regulations and is operating within the framework of the EU’s sanctions exemption.
The media outlet also noted that the Czech Republic has spent more than €7 billion on Russian oil and gas. According to the publication’s calculations, this is 5 times more than the amount of total aid to Ukraine (€1.29 billion).
