By Kate Abnett BRUSSELS, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The European Commission sees no short-term risk to the security of oil supplies in Hungary or Slovakia following the disruption of Russian oil flows via
Hungary and Slovakia Seek Alternatives Amid Croatian Oil Warning
Oil Supply Tensions in Central Europe
By Kate Abnett
Political Context and Implications
BRUSSELS, Feb 17 (Reuters) - A row over oil delivery to central Europe escalated on Tuesday after Croatia cautioned against calls from Hungary and Slovakia to offer additional Russian supply.
Emergency Reserves and Supply Talks
The vast Druzhba pipeline from Russia via Ukraine has been a lifeline to both countries since the 1960s, but has been shut since January 27.
Impact of U.S. Sanctions
Ukraine said that was due to a Russian attack on the pipeline, but Hungary and Slovakia have accused Kyiv of intentionally holding back supply.
POLITICAL CLASH
The standoff comes as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban trails in polls ahead of an election on April 12 where he risks losing power after 16 years.
Orban has been a vocal opponent of Ukraine's bid to join the European Union, and Hungary and Slovakia have both maintained good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin through almost four years of war in Ukraine.
Following their request on Monday for Croatia to help supply seaborne Russian oil via the Adria pipeline - also known as the JANAF pipeline - Economy Minister Ante Susnjar said that route could import more oil, but suggested this should not come from Russia.
"A barrel bought from Russia may appear cheaper to some countries, but helps fund war and attacks on Ukrainian people," Susnjar said in a post on X.
Hungarian oil company MOL did not respond to emailed questions. Slovakia confirmed on Tuesday it had asked Croatia jointly with Hungary to secure oil from Russia via the Adria pipeline.
EMERGENCY RESERVES
Hungary and Slovakia have also initiated talks on releasing supply from their own emergency stocks. Under EU law they are required to hold 90 days’ worth of supply.
"There are no short-term risks to security of supply,” a European Commission spokesperson said, adding that Brussels was also in contact with Ukraine regarding the timeframe for repairing the Druzhba pipeline.
While there are EU sanctions on seaborne Russian oil imports in the wake of the war, landlocked Hungary and Slovakia have exemptions which would allow them to source Russian seaborne crude if their piped supply is interrupted.
Czech Economy Minister Karel Havlicek also said on Tuesday his country could offer small volumes of oil to Slovakia through an eastward flow of the Druzhba pipeline, after westward flows from Ukraine were stopped.
US SANCTIONS
U.S. sanctions do not bar European countries from importing Russian crude, but Washington's latest measures targeting top Russian exporters Rosneft and Lukoil could complicate any plan involving them using Croatia's port of Omisalj or the Adria pipeline.
U.S. sanctions on Serbia's majority-Russian refiner NIS prevented the pipeline's operator from delivering crude late last year, for example.
The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control later issued the refiner with a temporary licence allowing it to resume operations.
(Reporting by Kate Abnett, Jan Lopatka, Vladimir Soldatkin, Antonis Pothitos, Anita Komuves, Marek Strzelecki and Alan Charlish; editing by Inti Landauro and Jan Harvey)
