EU blasts Zelenskyy over veiled threat against Orbán

BRUSSELS — The European Commission on Friday rebuked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy over remarks that Hungary interpreted as a threat against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Zelenskyy alluded Thursday to giving the address of a “certain person” — widely understood to mean Orbán — to Ukrainian troops for a direct talk “in their own language.”

Hungary took offense to the remarks, as an intensifying spat between Kyiv and Budapest threatens to run out of control.

“Specifically in relation to the comments made by President Zelenskyy, we are very clear as the European Commission that that type of language is not acceptable. There must not be threats against EU member states,” Commission deputy chief spokesperson Olof Gill told reporters Friday, in a rare condemnation of the leader in Kyiv.

Tensions between Ukraine and Hungary have escalated in recent weeks as Budapest continues to veto a €90 billion loan package for Kyiv. Orbán’s core complaint remains the halt of Russian oil flowing through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which Budapest believes Kyiv has deliberately shut off. Ukraine denies Orbán’s allegation, saying the pipe was severely damaged by a Russian drone attack in January.

Viktor Orbán’s core complaint remains the halt of Russian oil flowing through the Soviet-era Druzhba pipeline, which Budapest believes Kyiv has deliberately shut off. | Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine on Friday accused Hungary of kidnapping seven employees of the state-owned Oschadbank and seizing millions in cash and gold, while Orbán had vowed on social media Thursday to “break the Ukrainian oil blockade by force.”

After his emotional outburst on Thursday, Zelenskyy said he was ready to repair and restart the pipeline in a month if the EU officially requests it and promises Orbán will unblock the €90 billion loan.

Ukraine is expected to run short of funds by the end of March as it resists Russia’s full-scale invasion, and EU leaders have pledged to cover Kyiv’s financial needs for the next two years — a pressure point the Commission sees as partly explaining Zelenskyy’s anxiety over the veto and potentially prompting his remarks.

Speaking from the podium in the Commission’s Brussels headquarters, Gill urged both sides to cool it.

“At the moment there is a lot of escalating rhetoric and inflammatory rhetoric. 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 “dial down the rhetoric.”

Asked whether the Commission planned to express solidarity with Orbán, the spokesperson said he had “nothing to add” beyond his earlier remarks.

The Commission is focused on maintaining unity around key objectives, including stepping up pressure on Russia to end its war, advancing a major EU loan for Ukraine and ensuring the bloc’s energy security, Gill said.