Czech Republic plans to halt imports of Russian oil by 2025.

Czech Republic plans to halt the consumption of Russian oil by July next year, thanks to increased supplies from the west following the modernization of the Transalpine oil pipeline.

Source. This was reported by Reuters, citing Zdenek Dundr, the deputy director of the state pipeline company MERO.

Currently, Russian supplies account for half of the Czech Republic's oil needs.

“If we can confirm that everything is ready in the first quarter, a gradual logistical shift in supply will begin,” Dundr stated in an interview with Reuters.

According to him, this will happen once MERO completes the modernization of the Transalpine oil pipeline, which connects Italy with Germany and the Czech Republic. The investment will double the capacity to 8 million tons per year.

Dundr mentioned that alternatives to Russian oil will include raw materials from Latin America, Saudi Arabia, and the North Sea.

He noted that even after fully abandoning Russian supplies, the Druzhba pipeline, which transports oil from Russia to Western Europe, will serve as a backup channel and will remain constantly filled.

In the future, the pipeline may be used to transport oil from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, or for pumping from the Croatian pipeline Janf, Dundr added.

Background. It is worth recalling that in October, it was reported that Czech Republic spent five times more on purchasing Russian gas than on aid to Ukraine. As a result of oil sales to the Czech Republic, the Russian budget receives about 50 million euros monthly.