Experts believe that the EU will not be able to replace Russian oil

The topic of the embargo on Russian oil is one of the main topics for discussion on the international market. At the same time, a number of analysts believe that the European Union will not be able to find a replacement for Russian hydrocarbons in the medium term in the event of a ban on oil supplies.

Vagit Alekperov, ex-head of the Russian oil and gas company Lukoil, said that in the event of an embargo, Russia will be forced to reduce oil production and freeze wells, as it was at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Therefore, a ban on oil from the Russian Federation would be a shock to everyone and the most negative scenario for all parties. 

Moreover, it will take years to build a new infrastructure to redirect Russian oil entering the European market today.

Earlier, the European Commissioner for Economics Paolo Gentiloni said that the EU member states currently cannot agree on an embargo on the import of Russian oil – Hungary takes a firm position «against». The country insists on extending the transition period and/or withdrawing the country from restrictions. In addition to Hungary, other countries, including Bulgaria, do not agree with the embargo.

It is worth noting that the introduction of an oil embargo against Russia in the EU has been actively discussed since the beginning of May, but so far the dialogue on this issue has not led to a consensus. In addition, it became known that the embargo on oil from the Russian Federation is not spelled out in the basic scenario of the European Commission's spring economic forecast for 2022-2023.