Senior EU official rebukes Zelensky over Orban threat

European Council President Antonio Costa has rebuked Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky over a recent threat directed at Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Zelensky suggested earlier this month that he could dispatch the Ukrainian military to “speak” with a “certain person” in the EU – widely understood to be Orban – over vetoing a controversial €90 billion ($105 billion) emergency loan for Kiev.

Hungary reacted with outrage, with Orban calling the remarks “political banditry” and “moral blackmail.”

Speaking to the European Newsroom on Monday, Costa said that while Brussels has “very good relations” with Ukraine and “especially” Zelensky, such remarks are unacceptable.

“Of course, we cannot accept it when, even in an emotional moment, someone addresses the leader of a European Union member state inappropriately,” he stated.

The rare rebuke echoed an earlier statement by European Commission spokesperson Olof Gill, who said last week that Zelensky’s “type of language is not acceptable,” warning “there must not be threats against EU member states.” Neither Costa nor Gill mentioned potential repercussions for Kiev over the threat.

Orban earlier slammed the lack of proper EU condemnation as a betrayal, claiming the bloc was conspiring with Kiev to destabilize his government ahead of upcoming elections. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico urged EU leaders to “distance themselves” from Zelensky’s “outrageous blackmailing statements,” while several other European politicians, including Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, longtime Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and German opposition leader Alice Weidel, also criticized his remarks.

Hungary has long clashed with Kiev, opposing its EU and NATO bids and resisting funding for Ukraine’s war effort. Tensions have sharply escalated since Orban vetoed the emergency loan last month, following Kiev’s halt of Russian oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia via the Soviet-built Druzhba pipeline. Kiev cited damage from Russian strikes – claims Moscow denies – while Hungary and Slovakia accuse the Ukrainian authorities of deliberately cutting supplies to exert pressure. Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said this week that Budapest will continue to oppose the loan scheme until supplies resume.