President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has said that the government should speed up the transportation of fuel from European ports to Ukrainian consumers.
“The key task for government members is to speed up the transportation of fuel from European ports to our consumers. The volume of such transportation should increase daily,” Zelensky said in a traditional video message on Saturday.
He said that at present, everything is being done to ensure that the state fulfills all social obligations, despite the budget deficit due to the destruction of the Ukrainian economy by the Russian army.
At a meeting with members of the government on Saturday, Zelensky recalled that the issue of fuel shortage was raised last week. “At the beginning of last week, we agreed that we would resolve the issue this week. The week is ending,” Zelensky said.
In turn, First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economy Yulia Svyrydenko called the main problem – the logistics of receiving fuel for Ukraine in Eastern European ports.
“If you look at imports, over the past five days we have been importing exactly the same amount, even a little more, than we consume. Europe was simply not ready: not even in terms of resources, but in terms of logistics. We have a bottleneck – these are ports, European ports,” she said.
“We have Gdansk, Gdynia, Swinoujscie, Constanta, Burgas – there is a traffic jam. We asked [Foreign Minister] Dmytro Kuleba to get involved already at the international level – to ask for a green corridor for Ukraine in these ports,” Svyrydenko added.
The Ministry of Infrastructure of Ukraine and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development of Poland have agreed to cancel permits for all carriers engaged in international transportation of fuel, the press service of the Ministry of Infrastructure reported on Friday.
“Russian missile strikes on refineries and oil depots have created a critical situation in the fuel market. The goal of the team of the Ministry of Infrastructure in these conditions is the complete liberalization of international freight traffic to solve this problem. The new rules have already entered into force, and both Ukrainian and and Polish carriers. I am grateful to the Polish side for the constructive work,” Minister of Infrastructure Alexander Kubrakov is quoted as saying.
According to him, work will continue on simplifying cargo transportation and creating the most simple and understandable rules for carriers of goods necessary for Ukraine.
To enter the territory of Poland without a permit, fuel carriers must register by filling out the form: https://forms.gle/waid3FnRX1duve9z8
You must fill out the form no later than one day before crossing the border.
As reported, in April, Ukraine and Poland also agreed to increase the volume of rail transportation of Ukrainian exports to the EU and to world markets through Europe. In particular, the parties will set up a joint logistics venture in the near future.
German Finance Minister Christian Lindner advised German gas companies not to switch to paying for fuel supplies in rubles, which Moscow insists on.
“Contracts are contracts,” Lindner told Bloomberg Television on Wednesday. “Contracts are based on dollars and euros, and companies in the private sector have to pay in dollars or euros.”
He also said that Germany is ready for further sanctions against Russia. “We actively support all sanctions that serve to isolate Moscow politically and economically,” Lindner said.
During the period of Russian military aggression, Ukraine should allow the import and sale of fuel of the Euro-4 ecological standard, director of the A-95 consulting group Serhiy Kuyun said.
“It is necessary to temporarily allow the use of fuel of Euro-4 standards. The equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not notice this at all. Tanks, ZILs, diesel locomotives and others will go easily – this equipment is not new for the most part,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
“Civilian transport will also survive. Strict European fuel requirements are mainly for environmental purposes. Now there are much more serious threats to our life and health than the exhaust in traffic jams from refugees’ cars,” Kuyun said.
According to him, there are interesting price offers for Euro-4 on the foreign market, which will increase the filling of the Ukrainian market with fuel.
During the period of Russian military aggression, Ukraine should allow the import and sale of fuel of the Euro-4 ecological standard, director of the A-95 consulting group Serhiy Kuyun said.
“It is necessary to temporarily allow the use of fuel of Euro-4 standards. The equipment of the Armed Forces of Ukraine will not notice this at all. Tanks, ZILs, diesel locomotives and others will go easily – this equipment is not new for the most part,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
“Civilian transport will also survive. Strict European fuel requirements are mainly for environmental purposes. Now there are much more serious threats to our life and health than the exhaust in traffic jams from refugees’ cars,” Kuyun said.
According to him, there are interesting price offers for Euro-4 on the foreign market, which will increase the filling of the Ukrainian market with fuel.
Westinghouse will supply nine batches of fuel for Ukrainian NPPs in 2021, President of Westinghouse’s Europe, Middle East and Africa Operating Plant Services Business Unit Tarik Choho has said.
“In total, in 2021, we will deliver fuel for nine refuelings, and in 2022 it will be seven,” he said in an interview with Interfax-Ukraine.
According to him, for all the years of cooperation with National Nuclear Generating Company Energoatom Westinghouse has supplied 1,626 fuel assemblies for nuclear power plants to Ukraine.
Chokho recalled that Westinghouse fuel for VVER-1000 reactors is already in operation at six out of 15 nuclear reactors in Ukraine. “These are units Nos. 1,3,4,5 of Zaporizhia NPP, as well as units Nos. 2 and 3 of Yuzhnoukrinsk NPP. Moreover, five units out of six [units Nos. 1,3,5 of Zaporizhia NPP and No. 3 of Yuzhnoukrinsk NPP] are fully loaded with Westinghouse fuel,” he said.
In addition, starting in 2022, Westinghouse fuel for VVER-1000 reactors will also be used at unit No. 3 of Rivne NPP, and two years later Westinghouse will supply fuel for VVER-440 to unit No. 2 of this plant.
