Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called for the European Union to lift sanctions on Russian energy, warning that Europe is heading toward a major economic crisis.
In a post on X on Thursday, April 2, Orbán said the continent faces “one of the most severe economic crises in its history.”
“The only way out is to lift the sanctions imposed on Russian energy. Immediately,” Orbán wrote.
He urged European leaders to focus on domestic interests, adding: “Instead of warmongering, love and save your country, Donald.”
Tusk pushes back
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized such positions, warning they risk benefiting Russia.
“The threat of NATO’s break-up, easing sanctions on Russia, a massive energy crisis in Europe, halting aid for Ukraine and blocking the loan for Kyiv by Orbán – it all looks like Putin’s dream plan,” Tusk wrote on X.
The exchange underscores growing tensions within the European Union over sanctions policy and support for Ukraine.
Orbán’s nationalist government has regularly clashed with Kyiv and opposed international efforts to increase arms deliveries to Ukraine, and has even disputed Ukraine’s sovereignty.
Budapest also continues to block a €90 billion EU loan for Ukraine after Russian oil shipments to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, were halted in January.
Kyiv said the pause in oil deliveries was the result of damaged infrastructure following a Russian drone strike, while Budapest blames Ukraine for the outage.