The Deputy Minister of Economy of Slovakia and in charge of energy policy, Karol Galek, has ensured in a interview in politics that a ban on Russian oil imports “would destroy the European economy”. The Slovak economic delegate refers to the intention of the European Union to veto Russian crude in the sixth package of sanctions that is being prepared from Brussels.
According to Galek, this measure would cause damage to the energy supply mainly in four countries: Slovakia, Austria, the Czech Republic and Ukraine. Regarding the European Union’s proposal to give more room to countries that are much more dependent on Russian oil, such as Slovakia, the country’s minister has been very clear and has rejected that year of adaptation proposed by the EU. “Not Enough Time”has remarked.
“At least three years” of adaptation
Galek has asked wait “at least three years”, since a key refinery requires heavy Russian oil, since the alternative supplies will not be viable in the proposed time and schedule. According to their estimates, it would not be minimum until 2025 when countries like Slovakia would be ready to make a change and not depend on Russian oil. And even he has stated that it would be a “tight” term.
Sixth package of EU sanctions on Russia
During these days the EU discusses the sixth package of sanctions that Brussels intends to impose on Russia and Vladimir Putin for their military offensive in Ukraine last February 24. The most important measure in this round would be prohibit imports of Russian oil to the countries of the community bloc. The European Commission explained that this elimination would be progressive and non-linear for all countries, since there are countries like the case of Slovakia that are much more dependent on Russian crude.
However, for this proposal to go ahead, the unanimous approval of the 27 members of the EU, a situation that seems difficult. To try to convince everyone, Brussels proposes to countries like Hungary and Slovakia an extension until the end of 2023 in which they could continue importing Russian oil in order to approve the new package of sanctions, a situation that at least for now does not please Slovakia, which has already warned that it would “destroy the European economy.”