Kyiv: Ukraine has to continue buying Belarusian fuel made from Russian oil
Kyiv purchases from Belarus fuel made from Russian oil, said Heorhiy Tuka, Deputy Minister for Temporarily Occupied Territories and Internally Displaced Persons, on the 112 Ukraine TV channel.
“We have to buy from Belarus a large amount of fuel that is used by the entire country. Belarus, undoubtedly, produces it from Russian oil, but it is still profitable for us,” he said.
According to Tuka, an alternative way for Ukraine implies buying fuel made from European oil, but he expressed doubts whether Kyiv would have enough financial resources for that.
In October 2018, Russian Minister of Energy Alexander Novak and Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Ihor Lyashenko agreed on inventive quotas and protocols for oil products for 2019.
According to the announcement made by the Russian oil giant Transneft in September 2018, they plan keep the 2018 and to supply 18 million tons of oil from Russia to Belarus.
It was noted that a total of 24 million tons of oil is supplied from Russia to Belarus annually, 18 million tons of which are used by Minsk for domestic consumption. Minsk can export the rest of oil and send duties to the state budget.