OREANDA-NEWS. The EU countries will not soon be able to refuse to purchase Russian oil, for which they may also have to pay in rubles, said Vyacheslav Nikonov, First Deputy Head of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs. According to him, cited by RIA Novosti, the decision of a number of countries to stop importing energy from the Russian Federation will only lead to higher prices.

“I believe that now Hungary and Slovakia will become the largest oil exporters in Europe. And the Czechs and Bulgarians, if you’re lucky. True, I suspect that soon you will also have to pay for oil in rubles,” Nikonov said.

The parliamentarian added that if sanctions are imposed, Russia will be able to redirect its export capacities. He cited the East as an example. The main buyer of Russian oil, in particular, is now India.

Earlier it became known that Bulgaria and the Czech Republic may request an exception from the embargo on Russian oil and put forward their demands, because they will not be able to quickly find a replacement for supplies from the Russian Federation. The new sanctions package being prepared by the EU includes proposals to phase out oil from Russia within six to eight months, with Hungary and Slovakia already asking for relief.