Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has hinted that he may have another condition for unblocking a €90 billion loan to Ukraine. The condition is that the EU officially assesses the damage caused to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Points of attention
- Orban's maneuvering and potential blackmail tactics could have broader implications, affecting both the EU and Ukraine.
- The situation highlights the complex dynamics and power play within European politics, with Orban's actions drawing attention to possible ulterior motives and strategic leverage.
Orban continues to blackmail the EU and Ukraine
According to anonymous sources, European Council President António Costa recently received a letter from the Hungarian leader.
In it, Putin's henchman hinted that he was ready to lift his veto on the decision on Ukraine if official Brussels assessed the damage caused to the Druzhba oil pipeline.
Despite this, several diplomats involved in the negotiations warn that Viktor Orban's maneuvering may be broader.
Insiders are inclined to believe that Budapest may continue to block sanctions until its own application for a defense loan of 16 billion euros is supported - within the framework of the SAFE instrument.
According to diplomats, Viktor Orban's pressure campaign is primarily aimed at accelerating the European Commission's approval of the SAFE request.
It is assumed that the defense loan could be Orbán's decisive argument, despite his public statements about the alleged EU conspiracy with Ukraine to deprive Hungary of access to cheap Russian oil supplies.
