The exemption for Bulgaria from the sanctions that the United States imposed on "Lukoil" sites is a fact. This information came late on Friday, hours after Britain also excluded the company's Bulgarian companies from its sanctions. The exemption from sanctions for allied countries is not only for Bulgaria. Before that, there were two cases. We recall who they are and what are the differences with the situation in our country, writes NOVA.
At the end of October, the United States notified Germany that they were making an exception for them. "Rosneft" has large stakes in three refineries in Germany, including one of the most important in the city of Shved. The German case is different in that Berlin placed "Rosneft" companies under state control. This was done through special administrators back in 2022. The exemption for Germany was not announced to be for a specific period. And a week ago, Hungary also received a reprieve from the sanctions.
Prime Minister Viktor Orban traveled to Washington to lobby for an exemption for his country. And the United States agreed to a one-year postponement, with which the state-owned company's refineries in Hungary and neighboring Slovakia will continue to operate. Unlike the Germans, Hungary was not ready for the restrictions announced by Washington.
Since Russia attacked Ukraine, Budapest has not only not reduced its dependence on Russian oil, but the percentage of all imports has increased significantly. To receive the discount, Hungary committed to buying American liquefied gas and supplying American nuclear fuel for its nuclear power plant.