Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski’s tweet at 24 Ukrainian President’s office sparked a heated exchange with Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó, stoking a sharp Poland‑Hungary diplomatic spat.
Orban Declares War over Russian Asset Takeover
On Saturday night, a brief video of Viktor Orban appeared on his X profile, in which he criticized Hungary for ignoring European law while courting Russian assets. He warned that seizing 200–300 billion euros of frozen Russian assets would amount to a declaration of war and cautioned that no such takeover would go unanswered. Orban also slammed German chancellor Friedrich Merz, FDP leader Manfred Weber and EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for steering the Union toward a “blind alley or straight to the wall.” Finally, he derided the Commission’s appeal for 135 billion euros, calling it a “wonderful offer” that the Hungarian state would gladly leave to others.
Polish‑Hungarian Foreign Ministers Exchange Words
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski tweeted that “Viktor earned his Order of Lenin” on X. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó answered, “We understand you truly want war between Russia and Europe! We will not let ourselves be drawn into it!” Sikorski replied, “If Russia does not attack again, there will be no war, but we understand that this time you will be on its side.”
EU Freezes 210 Billion‑Euro Russian Central Bank Assets
This week the European Union adopted an unprecedented measure, freezing 210 billion euros of the Russian Central Bank’s assets for an indefinite period. The decision, approved by a majority of EU ambassadors yesterday, bypasses any potential vetoes by Hungary or Slovakia. The assets were frozen under the Union’s sanctions regime, echoing Ursula von der Leyen’s earlier call for financial support for Ukraine over the next two years and the 135 billion‑euro figure mentioned by Orban.
Hungary and Slovakia Continue Importing Russian Oil
According to the Centre for Eastern Studies, Hungary and Slovakia were the only EU members still importing Russian crude via land, thanks to exemptions from sanctions imposed in 2023. From the full invasion of Ukraine up to the end of 2024, the pair received 12.4 billion euros worth of oil. Hungary, the only EU state that has not reduced its dependence on Russian oil since the war began, actually increased it from 61 % in 2021 to 86 % three years later, and its gas dependency remained unchanged.
