Former Ukrainian President Poroshenko Proposes Russian Oil Transit Ban - Kyiv Independent

Former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and his European Solidarity party have proposed legislation to ban Russian oil and gas transit through Ukraine during martial law, Orda reports, citing The Kyiv Independent. 

The EU imposed sanctions on Russian oil after Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, banning seaborne crude and petroleum products in June 2022.

Some EU members - Hungary, Czechia, and Slovakia - received exemptions due to their reliance on Russian oil.

These countries continue to receive Russian crude through the southern section of the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Ukrainian territory.

The bill, submitted on January 7, comes after Ukraine's decision not to extend Russian gas transit agreements beyond December 2024. 

Every day, the Druzhba oil pipeline transports 300,000 barrels of Russian oil... Every day when the halt to Russian oil transit is delayed, tens of millions of dollars flow to Russia, Poroshenko said at a press briefing.

He stated that Russia would earn $7.5 billion from the sale of oil through Ukrainian transit in 2025.

The bill, co-signed by 17 European Solidarity MPs, awaits publication and must clear several legislative hurdles before becoming law.

The proposal targets Russia's crucial revenue stream.

If passed, the bill could further aggravate tensions between Ukraine, Hungary, and Slovakia that arose amid efforts to continue gas transit via Ukraine and its subsequent discontinuation.