Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has described Hungary and Slovakia as “blackmail” after they pressured Ukraine to reopen a Russian oil pipeline.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has described Hungary and Slovakia as "blackmail" after they pressured Ukraine to reopen a Russian oil pipeline.
Kiev said the Soviet-era pipeline that runs through Ukraine was damaged in a Russian attack in January. Ukraine said repairs could take up to six weeks. Both Hungary and Slovakia rely on the pipeline for most of their energy needs and the disruption has angered them.
Both countries have threatened to withhold EU aid to Ukraine until it reopens the pipeline, while the European Commission has proposed a mission to inspect the damage, putting more pressure on Kiev. The war in the Middle East has disrupted global oil supplies. Countries around the world are looking for ways to release more supplies to the market to lower oil prices.
"If we decide to restore Russian oil supplies, I am against it. But if I am given the condition that Ukraine will not receive weapons, then excuse me, I am powerless in this matter, this is called blackmail,” Zelensky said when asked about reopening the pipeline. Zelensky has also targeted Hungary, accusing the Hungarian government of spreading anti-Ukrainian sentiment.
Tensions have risen between Kiev and Budapest in recent weeks over the pipeline, with Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at loggerheads over it. “We will work with any leadership in Hungary if someone is not an ally of Putin, not an ally of the aggressor country, and we are ready to work in a friendly manner,” Zelensky said, adding, “The United States should not ‘back off’ from Ukraine.”
The US-Israeli war with Iran has roiled global energy markets. The Strait of Hormuz, which once carried a fifth of the world’s oil supply, has been brought to a near standstill by supply conflicts. Ukraine has expressed concern that Washington's allies in the Gulf have sent a team to provide expertise to shoot down drones. The United States' focus on the Iran war could delay support for Kiev. "We are ready to assist the United States and its allies in the Middle East and hope that the United States will not retreat from the issue of the Ukrainian war because of the Middle East," Zelensky said. "Ukraine has so far provided expertise only to the Gulf and is not at war with Iran," he added. Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February 2022, has continued its attacks on its neighbor, while global attention has shifted to the Iran war. Two doctors were killed in a Russian drone strike on an ambulance in the northeastern region of Kharkiv on Sunday morning, local police said.
