Zelenski, harsh message after Orban obtained from Trump an exception to US sanctions: “We will not allow the Russians to sell oil there”
Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine. PHOTO: Fabian Sommer / AFP / Profimedia
Ukraine will try to ensure that “there will be no Russian oil in Europe”, declared Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, after Hungary obtained on the same day an exemption from the sanctions imposed on Russia following the meeting between American leader Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House, according to DPA, Interfax-Ukraina and Reuters, taken over by Agerpres.
The U.S. has granted Hungary a one-year waiver from U.S. sanctions aimed at preventing imports of Russian oil and gas, a White House official said Friday, after Orban pleaded for a delay during a meeting with the U.S. president in Washington.
During this meeting, Orban explained the reasons why Hungary needs to use Russian oil, stating that the issue is crucial for Budapest. Donald Trump seemed to listen to the Hungarian Prime Minister with understanding.
Hungary gets most of its oil through the Drujba pipelines, which cross Russia and Ukraine, which has led to tensions between Kiev and Budapest.
“We will not allow the Russians to sell oil there”
Recently, several Ukrainian attacks have targeted the Drujba pipeline in the segment that crosses Russian territory. In August, for example, the flow of oil to Hungary was disrupted after a Ukrainian drone attack. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto invoked at that time a new attack on his country's energy security.
On Friday evening, Zelenski welcomed US efforts to prevent Russian oil from reaching Europe, accusing Orban of using his opposition to Ukraine for electoral purposes ahead of next year's elections.
Oil and gas exports are an important source of income for Moscow, which allows it to finance the war against Ukraine, which has lasted for more than three and a half years.
“We will not allow the Russians to sell oil there (to Europe). It's a matter of time. It's a problem related to our position. There are some things we simply cannot do today. Because there are many different dependencies in this puzzle. But we will still reconstruct the picture from the puzzle. Russia has to lose from the war, and its biggest losses are when it cannot trade energy resources,” Zelensky emphasized in his message posted on Telegram, according to Interfax-Ukraina.
