The European Commission has condemned President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s perceived threats against Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán, calling the rhetoric “not acceptable” amid a deepening dispute over the damaged Druzhba oil pipeline. Tensions spiked after Zelenskyy suggested Ukrainian soldiers should “speak” to Orbán in their own language, while Orbán continues to block a €90 billion EU loan to Kyiv in retaliation for oil supply disruptions. Slovak leader Robert Fico joined the criticism, warning that such “blackmailing statements” could lead other member states to also block financial aid to Ukraine. The situation is further complicated by Hungary’s recent detention of seven Ukrainians on money-laundering charges, an act Kyiv has denounced as “state banditism.”
Date: March 6, 2026. Source: euractiv.com