Hungary and Slovakia have asked the European Commission to mediate a consultation procedure with Ukraine after Kyiv hardened sanctions against Lukoil, Russia’s second-largest oil producer, which led to a halt in supplies, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on July 22. Ukraine strengthened sanctions against Lukoil in June 2024, effectively removing the possibility that Ukraine can be a transit country for the company’s oil. Yet, Kyiv’s ban does not apply to other Russian oil exporters who still use the pipeline. The restrictions have created supply shortages in Budapest, which depe…