The Czech Republic and Slovakia face a precarious energy position as they look to Brussels for a restart of oil deliveries from Russia. This stance was outlined by the head of Transneft, Nikolai Tokarev, during a broadcast on Russia 24, signaling that the two Central European nations may be forced to rely on Russian supplies to keep their refineries running.
Tokarev stressed that both countries lack direct access to the sea and have limited options for alternative crude sources. He noted that while the Czech Republic sits at the end of a pipeline corridor that could bring oil via Trieste in Italy, the broader reality remains that Russian crude continues to be a critical feedstock for their energy system.
In Bratislava, Slovakia, Economy Minister Denisa Saková recently indicated that the country secured an exemption from EU sanctions in 2024 to continue using Russian oil for the production of petroleum products. The exemption is portrayed as a safeguard for local jobs at the Slovnaft refinery and as a way to stabilize government tax revenues during a period of economic adjustment.
Earlier assessments have noted how oil price movements influence national energy calculations, with attention drawn to scenarios where prices dip to about fifty dollars per barrel, a level that can reshape policy choices for both governments and the refineries that depend on predictable feedstock costs.