Status: 03/01/2023 3:48 p.m
Actually, Poland had campaigned particularly hard for an embargo on oil from Russia that would be as far-reaching as possible – and still continued to import Russian oil itself.
A huge banner flutters on the Poniatowski Bridge, one of Warsaw’s main axes over the Vistula. “Poland is still buying crude oil from Russia,” it says.
Greenpeace Polska hung it on the anniversary of the Russian attack on Ukraine. This is uncomfortable for the Polish government, which sees itself as the driving force in domestic and foreign policy when it comes to independence from and sanctions against Russia.
Further imports despite own announcements
On Tuesday, Mateusz Morawiecki, Poland’s Prime Minister, said on oil imports: “The facts and figures are clear. They show that we were the driving force behind sanctions in this area. The words of gratitude from Ukraine also confirm this. And we have implemented it . We have been reducing oil imports from Russia since 2016.”
Only, and Morawiecki makes no secret of this, at the beginning of the year Poland still covered ten percent of its own oil requirements through imports from Russia – contrary to what was announced last summer.
Natural gas and coal imports were stopped
When the EU was only able to agree on an oil embargo for the sea route, but continued to allow imports via pipeline from Russia, Poland declared together with Germany that they wanted to do without Russian oil in general from the turn of the year.
And the country has come a long way: natural gas and coal imports from Russia have been stopped and oil imports reduced. But with the remaining ten percent, Poland ended up being the largest remaining buyer of Russian crude oil in Europe, according to Polish media reports.
Import stop “not possible”
That was not possible otherwise, as otherwise there would have been a risk of contractual penalties, said Daniel Obajtek, chairman of the state-owned oil company Orlen, which imports the Russian oil.
The “well-being of Orlen and the well-being of Poles” depend on further oil imports, Obajtek explains. “Imagine what it would have meant to cancel this contract and then pay penalties so that the money would have gone to the Putin regime. We couldn’t do that.”
Poland blames the EU
Orlen and the Polish government have always argued that the EU bears responsibility for this situation: if there were an EU oil embargo that also extended to pipeline deliveries, then there would be a legal basis to also terminate the delivery contract for the remaining quantity Cancel oil without penalties.
But energy expert Jakub Wiech counters that the Polish government itself could have created a law to enable Orlen to terminate the contract without being punished.
Indirect further imports
In fact, the Druzhba pipeline has meanwhile been shut down – not by the Polish side, but by the Russian side. The reason for this is believed to be a reaction to the recent EU sanctions package and the US President’s visit to Poland.
One is prepared for that, says Orlen boss Obajtek, there will be no shortage. Still, things are not looking good for the Polish government, comments energy expert Jakub Wiech: “It’s difficult that Russia and not Poland decided to stop oil supplies for the Polish market. Mainly because the Polish government had been threatening for a long time that the Stop deliveries, but didn’t make the decision the whole time, even though the German side did.”
And yet the country is not really as independent of Russian oil as the Polish government would like it to be. Experts point out that Polish gas stations continue to sell fuel from Slovak refineries. And Slovakia continues to import Russian oil via pipeline.