The head of the Slovak government, Robert Fico, called on the European Commission to pressure Ukraine to restore the transit of Russian oil to Slovakia. At the same time, Bratislava rejected Brussels’ demand to cancel measures that impose different pricing at gas stations for cars with foreign and domestic registration.
Source: Gazeta.UA
Slovakia introduced a 30-day restriction on diesel and gasoline starting March 18 due to a sharp rise in oil prices amid the war in Iran, DPA reports. “To prevent mass fuel purchases by drivers from neighboring countries at lower prices, the country also raised prices for vehicles with foreign plates, claiming that supply is currently possible only thanks to state reserves,” the publication notes.
A European Commission spokesperson described these measures as “highly discriminatory.” Fico stated that the commission had threatened his government with lawsuits for violating European law.
Slovakia remains heavily dependent on Russian oil and received an exemption from EU sanctions against Russia to address the shortage. Fico rejected the demand to cancel differential pricing and did not rule out continuing the measures. Instead, he called on the European Commission to pressure Ukraine to restore Russian oil transit, which, in his view, would render all restrictions unnecessary.