On Euronews Romania, in a conversation with Sonia Teodoriu, Eugenia Gusilov discussed the potential takeover of the Petrotel-Lukoil refinery by the Romanian state, emphasizing that it would be a takeover rather than a nationalization. Given that the prejudice caused to the Romanian state amounts to nearly 2 billion euros, this is a matter of enforcing the law rather than nationalizing assets. The current Romanian government can and must show the necessary courage to recover this damage.

While US sanctions provide an additional argument, the Romanian state has always possessed sufficient levers and reasons to act independently. The missing element has consistently been political will. The discussion also raised questions about past leadership accountability and suggested that under Romanian special administration, whether state-led or private, Petrotel-Lukoil might transition from operating at a loss under Russian management to actually generating profit. The window of opportunity created by US sanctions must not be missed!