MOL said it would be “the first to be informed” if there was any change to deliveries of Russian crude through the Druzhba which runs through Ukraine, according to a report by news agency MTI. MOL has “good business ties” with its Ukrainian partner and “deliveries are continuous”, it added.

Mykhailo Podolyak, the adviser to the head of the Office of President of Ukraine said in an interview earlier that flows of crude through the Druzhba could stop from January.

In a post on social media on Friday, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said that he had learned of Podolyak’s comments in the press, adding that official information was “entirely to the contrary”.

“So far, we have been informed through official channels in Kyiv that Ukraine is fulfilling its contractual obligations and ensuring the transit of oil deliveries bound for Hungary and Slovakia,” he said

“We can only take into account official information and do not wish to comment on press reports,” he added.

Podolyak walked back his comments later on Friday.

“Ukraine has and will continue to fully meet its contractual obligations for the term of the contracts, as this impacts our bilateral ties with European countries,” he said.

The pipeline operators of Ukraine and Russia earlier signed a 10-year transit delivery contract in force from January 1, 2020.