Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan said that Romania will firmly enforce international sanctions targeting Lukoil and will not request an extension of the November 21 deadline imposed by US authorities. In addition, the minister stated that work is underway on the necessary legal framework to allow for the imposition of sanctions, as well as the continuity of Petrotel Ploieşti’s refining activities, as well as the marketing of petroleum products and the protection of jobs for its 5,000 employees, according to Financialintelligence.
“We are protecting Romania’s energy security and firmly enforcing international sanctions targeting Lukoil. My colleagues in the Ministry of Energy continue to work, together with all relevant authorities, to create legislation that will ensure, on the one hand, full compliance with the sanctions regime established by the United States, and on the other hand, the continuity of Petrotel Ploieşti’s refining activities, as well as the marketing of petroleum products, without jeopardizing the supply of the national fuel market,” wrote Energy Minister Bogdan Ivan on Facebook on Tuesday evening.
He announced that he would not request an extension of the deadline set by the American authorities: “I say it clearly: I will not request an extension of the November 21 deadline set by the American authorities. Moreover, I will support the replication and uniform application of the sanctions initiated by the US throughout the European Union.”
In addition, the Energy Minister states that “Romania must take control of the company to guarantee the full implementation of international measures, to protect the jobs of the 5,000 employees and to ensure the stability and security of the national energy system.”
Washington’s decision to include Lukoil and Rosneft on the sanctions blacklist has thrown EU countries where the two largest Russian oil companies are present into chaos, as they try to prevent the disruption of fuel supplies before the sanctions come into effect on November 21.
Romania and Bulgaria are in a race against time to prevent the closure of their critical oil refineries owned by Lukoil before US sanctions against the Russian owners come into effect at the end of this month. One option considered by Bucharest would be to request a waiver to extend the period of application of the sanctions, POLITICO wrote.
The new measures also affect other EU countries. Germany has won a six-month waiver for Rosneft’s Schwedt refinery, which has been under government control since 2022.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán traveled to Washington on Friday and secured a waiver for Russian oil imports via pipelines for his country and neighboring Slovakia.
The sanctions come as President Donald Trump grows increasingly frustrated with failed efforts to broker a ceasefire in Ukraine. The EU has also stepped up its campaign in recent months to end the bloc’s dependence on Moscow for energy.