Croatia is sending a blunt message to Central Europe: stop asking for exemptions. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced Wednesday that the country’s state-owned oil transporter, Jadranski naftovod (JANAF), is fully capable of supplying Slovakia and Hungary with all the crude oil they need—without relying on Russia.
His declaration comes as the European Union accelerates its plan to cut off all Russian energy imports by 2027, a landmark shift designed to end the bloc’s long-standing dependence on Moscow.
EU Pushes Toward Total Energy Independence
EU negotiators from the Council and the European Parliament reached a preliminary deal to phase out Russian natural gas by fall 2027. A second phase—now under preparation—will require the European Commission to present a formal plan next year outlining how Slovakia and Hungary must end Russian oil imports by the end of 2027.
Both countries have fiercely resisted the move. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico condemned the REPowerEU initiative as ideological and harmful, insisting that his country’s energy security relies on continued access to Russian crude.
Plenković shot back on Wednesday.
Croatia: JANAF Has the Capacity—and the Numbers to Prove It
The Croatian leader emphasized that JANAF can transport more than 15 million tons of oil annually to Slovakia and Hungary—more than enough to keep their refineries running at full capacity. Claims of technical limitations, he said, are unfounded.
“It is entirely possible to supply both countries without Russian oil,” Plenković stressed, distancing Croatia from regional objections and reinforcing the EU’s long-term energy strategy.
A Shift With Geopolitical Consequences
If the EU formally adopts the plan, Slovakia and Hungary—two of the last EU holdouts defending continued Russian imports—will be forced to diversify. For Brussels, this represents not only an energy milestone but a strategic move to weaken the Kremlin’s leverage over Europe.
For Central Europe, however, it signals the start of a contentious and potentially costly transition.