European Commission, rare reaction to Zelenski after statements about Viktor Orban: “This kind of language is not acceptable”
The European Commission reprimanded Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski on Friday for comments that Hungary interpreted as a threat to Prime Minister Viktor Orban, reports Politico, according to News.ro.
Zelenskiy said on Thursday that he would give the address of a “certain person” – widely understood to be Viktor Orbán – to Ukrainian troops for a direct discussion “in their own language”.
Hungary felt offended by these remarks, in the context in which the dispute between Kiev and Budapest is intensifying and risks getting out of control.
“Regarding specifically the comments made by President Zelenski, we, the European Commission, are very clear that this kind of language is not acceptable. There must be no threats against EU member states,” the Commission's deputy spokesman, Olof Gill, told reporters on Friday in a rare rebuke of the Kiev leader.
Tensions between Ukraine and Hungary have escalated in recent weeks as Budapest continues to block a 90 billion euro loan package for Kiev. Orban's main gripe remains the halt to the flow of Russian oil through the Soviet-era Drujba pipeline, which Budapest believes Kiev deliberately shut down. Ukraine denies Orban's accusation, saying the pipeline was badly damaged by a Russian drone attack in January.
Additionally, on Friday, Ukraine accused Hungary of “kidnapping” seven employees of state-owned Oschadbank and seizing millions in cash and gold, while Orban vowed on social media on Thursday to “break the Ukrainian oil blockade by force.”
After Thursday's emotional outburst, Zelenski said he was ready to repair and restore the pipeline within a month if the EU formally requested it and promised that Orban would unlock the 90 billion euro loan.
Ukraine is expected to run out of funds by the end of March as it resists a full-scale Russian invasion, and EU leaders have pledged to cover Kiev's financial needs for the next two years – a pressure point the commission sees as partly explaining Zelenski's anxiety about a Hungarian veto and which could be the reason for his nervous exit.
Gill urged both sides to calm down. “Right now, the rhetoric is increasingly heated and inflammatory. We believe that such rhetoric from all sides is neither helpful nor conducive to achieving the common goals we all have here,” he said, adding that Brussels is “in active discussions with all sides” and urging them to “calm down a bit” and “moderate their rhetoric.”
Asked if the EC intended to express solidarity with Orban, the spokesman said he had “nothing to add” beyond his previous remarks. The commission is focused on maintaining unity around key objectives, including stepping up pressure on Russia to end the war, promoting a major EU loan to Ukraine and ensuring the bloc's energy security, Gill said.
Viktor Orban, threatened veiled by Volodymyr Zelenski
On Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for blocking the 90 billion euro package from the European Union, threatening him veiledly.
“We hope that a certain person in the EU will not continue to block the 90 billion, or the first tranche of 90 billion, and that the Ukrainian soldiers will have weapons,” Zelensky told reporters in Kiev, according to Reuters.
“Otherwise, we will give this person's address to our armed forces, our guys. Let them call him and talk to him, in their language,” the Ukrainian leader added.
