“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” The holy maxim sadly doesn’t hold in the world of hard power, though it’s a hard truth Brussels would rather ignore.
As Ukraine faces the remorseless campaign of its Russian assailants, the country has heroically held firm – thanks entirely to the population’s resilience, rather than any miracle of meekness.
And after more than four years’ ferocious bombardment, tens of thousands of deaths, children abducted, and civilians battling a bitter winter while the energy grid is pummeled, you’d have thought Ukraine’s leader might have received a little more sympathy from EU partners – who have openly acknowledged the existential import of Ukraine’s fight for all of Europe – when he snapped at Victor Orbán for blocking the critical €90 billion EU loan.
If anyone deserves some slack for fighting talk, it’s Zelensky. Though not infallible, the wartime president has suffered greatly – not from oppressive forces but from supposed allies who place unreasonable conditions on their support. He has submitted to degradation and disappointment, bound by the excruciating knowledge that a slip of the tongue or foot out of diplomatic line could see his countrymen crucified.
Ever obdurate, Orbán has given the bloc more than enough reason to vent their frustration. But instead of working to countermand Hungary’s antagonism, the Commission spokespeople berated Zelensky for “unacceptable language,” like sanctimonious bible bashers clinging to the sacred script in a world gone awry.
The double standards are painful to behold. While the EU lectures its afflicted ally on decorum, Orbán is left to run amok, disregarding the treaties, shooting down sanctions on Russia, and weaponizing AI-generated deepfakes to push his agenda – actions that would likely fall foul of the bloc’s digital rules.
Like the bad apple of the bunch, his obstruction has spread to Slovakia, where Prime Minister Robert Fico has vowed to veto the loan should Orbán be removed in the April elections. His constant intransigence clearly undermines the Union, but the Commission is too cowed to call it out.
It’s not enough that Zelensky holds firm as his country is hammered; in doing so he must also show the patience of a saint. But sainthood is a state reserved for the dead. And Ukraine needs its leader alive and kicking.
See the original of this opinion piece for Euractiv’s The Brief by Orlando Whitehead here.