Former President Traian Băsescu: "Romania should request a waiver from the USA on the Lukoil sanctions. We should do everything to ensure that Lukoil continues to sell the refinery, not to have it put in our hands."

Traian Băsescu issued a warning regarding the situation of the Lukoil refinery in Romania, which is facing American sanctions. He emphasizes that the Romanian state must act quickly and request a waiver, as Bulgaria and Hungary have done, to avoid the forced takeover of the refinery. Băsescu, with 12 years of experience in oil transportation for refineries, explained that keeping it operational would involve enormous costs, considering that Romania does not have sufficient internal oil resources.

He pointed out that the takeover of the refinery could become a constant burden on the state budget, while Lukoil gas stations, operated by private entities, do not present the same risks. Băsescu concluded that the refinery represents a critical problem for Romania.