Allies asked not to attack Russian oil infrastructure, - Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed that Ukraine had been asked at various levels to refrain from targeting Russia’s oil industry due to the potential impact on global oil prices.
According to Censor.NET, citing Suspilne, he made this statement during a conversation with journalists.
"During the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, our partners sent out various signals to certain countries whose actions could influence the situation. Some were asked to increase production, others to expand transit capacity, and we were asked to scale back our strikes—that is, our responses to Russian attacks. Because they believed this would affect energy prices. I believe that Russian oil has no significant impact on the global market. And I said so openly," Zelenskyy said.
He added that the lifting of sanctions on Russian oil, which took place after the war in Iran began, may indicate that Russia will be able to sell off assets belonging to Lukoil, a company that could have gone bankrupt within the next year.
"I am waiting for the sanctions on Russian oil to be reinstated in full, just as they were before. Otherwise, every day will only reinforce my conviction that this was all a ploy by Russia: to use a convenient pretext to lift sanctions on energy resources and be able to sell Lukoil’s assets." Our assessment was this: if full sanctions remain in place for another six months, a year at most—they’ll go bankrupt," Zelenskyy said.
There are about 20 similar facilities in Europe
The president stated that there may be around 20 facilities in Europe similar to those mentioned in the context of energy infrastructure, including plants in Romania and Bulgaria. He emphasized that if the assumptions regarding these facilities prove to be incorrect, sanctions pressure could be intensified.
According to Zelenskyy, if these assessments prove to be incorrect, Europe may once again impose harsh sanctions on Russia’s energy sector, marking another phase of economic pressure on Moscow.
The Russian Federation's budget deficit and the consequences of the war
The president also stated that, during the war in the Middle East, Russia has been unable to generate sufficient additional revenue to cover its budget deficit, which, according to him, amounts to approximately $100 billion.
"I don't think Russia managed to make much money. I don't have the final figure yet, but I don't think it's a catastrophic amount. If they had a deficit of 100 billion, then even if they covered 15–20 percent, they still wouldn’t cover the entire deficit. And thanks to our responses regarding Ust-Luga and other facilities, they are reducing supply volumes. We can see that," Zelenskyy added.
