Slovakia's Fico threatens to halt diesel fuel supplies to Ukraine over Lukoil oil transit disruptions

MOSCOW. July 30 (Interfax) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has threatened Ukraine with consequences unless Kiev resumes transit of oil for Russia's Lukoil .

"If transit of Russian oil through Ukraine is not resumed in the near future, Slovnaft will not continue to supply diesel fuel to Ukraine, which covers a tenth of Ukrainian consumption," Ukrainian media quoted Fico as saying on social media following a meeting with Ukrainian Ambassador Miroslav Kastran, which was also attended by Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar and State Secretary Marek Estok.

Fico also said the resumption of Russian oil supplies was linked to a "technical solution," but it must involve several countries.

"The European Union, if it wants to emerge from the total influence of the United States, will have to think about forms of cooperation with the Russian Federation, which should include cooperation in strategic raw materials," he said.

Hungary and Slovakia recently stopped receiving pipeline oil from the Russian oil company Lukoil shipped via the Druzhba pipeline due to a transit ban imposed by Ukraine. Kiev tightened sanctions on Lukoil last month, thus effectively banning oil transport to Central Europe across Ukraine via the Druzhba pipeline. Lukoil is a major supplier to Hungary and Slovakia.

Hungary and Slovakia wrote to the European Commission, asking it to open consultations under its trade deal with Ukraine, but Valdis Dombrovskis, EU trade commissioner, said Brussels would need more time to gather evidence and assess the legal situation.