The Czech state-run Mero energy firm said on May 23 it has signed a deal to end the country's dependence on Russian oil, more than a year into Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Mero will finance a $73 million expansion of the Transalpine oil pipeline (TAL), which supplies oil from the Italian port of Trieste to Central Europe. The Czech Republic's TAL capacity will now double to an annual 8 million tons of oil starting 2025. "This deal is our future. It will sever us from Russia after a long 60 years and help us achieve independence, freedom, and sovereignty in energy supplies," Mero chief executive Jaroslav Pantucek told reporters.
Czechs Sign Deal To End Dependence On Russian Oil
Smoke rises from an oil refinery behind the city of Omsk, Russia. European countries have been cutting their dependence on Russian oil following the country's unprovoked, large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.