Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky gave an interview to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera, in which he discussed the possibility of Orbán’s defeat in the April elections. He added that if that happened, full relations could be restored.
Zelensky: Orbán’s election loss may give chance to reshape Ukrainian-Hungarian ties
According to prm.ua, which summarised the interview from a Hungarian perspective, Zelensky noted Orbán’s limited influence on regional politics unless others lend him strength. “Hungary is a country that has significance, but lacks military clout,” the president said.
The Ukrainian president made clear that he did not consider the Hungarian people pro-Russian. He highlighted that Ukraine opposes funding the Russian war machine with oil and gas money. This may refer to the Druzhba pipeline, which ceased delivering oil to Slovakia and Hungary after a Russian attack.
Although the Hungarian prime minister and his Slovak counterpart state that the pipeline is ready to use again, Ukraine has not restarted operations. The Ukrainian president said earlier that he would like something in return, for example, the lifting of Hungary’s veto on Ukraine’s EU financial bailout or EU accession.
Orbán has previously described the closure of the Druzhba pipeline as a declaration of war on Budapest.
The president said in the interview that the pipeline has been destroyed by the Russians and they need a ceasefire to rebuild it. That is what Orbán should tell Putin.
Orbán: Zelensky pressing for change of Hungary’s government
Volodymyr Zelensky is pushing for a change of government, and the opposition is led by “Ukraine’s man”, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video posted on Facebook on Tuesday, responding to the statement by Zelensky.
In the video responding to Zelensky, the prime minister said: “There’s nothing new under the sun. He wants a Ukraine-friendly government, led by Ukraine’s man, and I believe they have agreed on this.” Orbán said it was “no coincidence the [opposition] Tisza Party is directly financed from Ukraine, as confirmed in the national security report submitted to the Hungarian parliament.”
“To ensure Hungarians remain safe after the election, we must defeat not only the Hungarian opposition but also President Zelensky, and we will succeed,” he declared.
If you missed:
- Orbán decries von der Leyen’s and Zelensky’s new ‘Munich agreement’ to prolong Ukraine war
- Orbán accuses Ukraine of “oil blockade” as Middle East tensions and V4 rifts deepen Hungary’s energy fears
Hungary can restore relations with the rest of Europe should Russian puppet Orban be replaced.
And what makes you think we want that?
I don’t. Fuck’m.
I throw a lot of insults to Trump on how idiotic he is. Especially after the Iran debacle.
But he is way better then all the European leaders combined 5 times over.
Your anger is palpable, oozing from every word you write. It’s no use, you’ll have to accept the EU. You can always emigrate to Russia, after all. But I’m sure that when push comes to shove, you’ll back down and stay in the EU. Because, no matter what you claim, your own interests matter more than your distorted Russian propaganda.
Thanks to Trump, who “is way better then all the European leaders combined 5 times over”.
Brent Crude Oil: Latest price and chart
https://www.hl.co.uk/shares/trading-commodities/brent-crude-oil
United States Dollar – Russian Ruble (USD – RUB)
https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/usd-rub?op=1
Oh dear, your beloved Russia, and no end in sight.
Thanks to Trump, who “is way better then all the European leaders combined 5 times over”.
And now Russia’s big brother is feeling the heat. It will not be the EU – except perhaps Hungary and Slovakia, since both have mostly only concluded agreements with Russia – that will suffer from an oil shortage.
Just as he did in Venezuela in January, Donald Trump’s “decapitation strategy” has targeted one of China’s most important oil suppliers. China imports up to three-quarters of the oil it needs. Last year, roughly a third of that was ultimately purchased from Iran or Venezuela, though often diverted through compliant partners like Malaysia, thus circumventing sanctions. The US president’s military adventurism exposes China’s vulnerability and dependence as the world’s second-largest oil consumer and largest importer.
While the shale oil revolution of the 2010s enabled America to transform itself into an energy fortress, China remains at the mercy of the global market. “China is heavily reliant on foreign fossil fuels, making it vulnerable to disruptions resulting from instability and geopolitical competition,” states a recent report by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). China is therefore appealing to all sides not to close the Strait of Hormuz and not to interrupt the oil supply. Why, one might ask? Because it fears the consequences, especially regarding its own population. It fears mass protests.
For the last time, Mark, aka Mouton and Co.: Europe, along with the USA, is the least affected by oil supply disruptions (except for Hungary and Slovakia), and your European apocalypse is unfortunately off the table!
How dependent are countries on Middle Eastern oil?
Europe
The Middle East’s share of European crude oil imports is relatively small, at around five percent.
USA
The United States has drastically reduced its dependence and is now the world’s largest oil and natural gas producer. Imports from the Gulf States amounted to less than 0.9 million barrels per day (bpd) last year, with total demand exceeding 20 million bpd. As the world’s leading exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), the USA also imports almost no LNG from the Middle East.
China
The world’s largest crude oil importer obtains the majority of its supplies from the Middle East. The People’s Republic is also the most important buyer of Iranian oil. Analysts estimate Beijing’s strategic reserves at around 900 million barrels, which would cover its import needs for almost three months.
Japan
The country obtains around 95 percent of its oil imports from the Middle East. Approximately 70 percent of these pass through the Strait of Hormuz. However, Japan has emergency reserves that, theoretically, would last for 254 days. Its dependence is less pronounced with LNG: only 11 percent of its supplies come from the crisis region, with Australia being the main supplier.
India
The share of Middle Eastern oil in Indian imports recently rose to 55 percent, as refineries reduced their import of Russian oil. The country is also vulnerable with regard to LNG and covers about two-thirds of its needs from Qatar, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Oman. There are conflicting figures regarding the size of the reserves: while the government speaks of reserves sufficient for about 74 days, industry experts estimate more like 20 to 25 days.
India South Korea
The East Asian nation covers almost all of its energy needs through imports. Around 70 percent of its oil and 20 percent of its LNG come from the Middle East. According to government figures, the strategic reserves held by the state and private sector total approximately 200 days. Should supply disruptions occur, the country intends to secure additional quantities from other regions.
“Hungary can restore relations with the rest of Europe should Russian puppet Orban be replaced.”
A lion does not care of the opinion of the sheep or in this case sheeple !!!!
You’re the sheep, aren’t you? I didn’t expect you to be so insightful.
Just one month to go and finally Hungarians will get rid of this scammer
Russia has decided on the key scenarios for the upcoming elections to the Russian State Duma, which will be held this September. All of them are in one way or another tied to the Russian-Ukrainian war – and differ only in the degree of “success” of fighting for Russia.
Similar planning confirms: until the fall of 2026, Moscow does not consider the option of ending the war, and if the U.S. suddenly reaches a “peace agreement” – the Kremlin is sure that it will “sell” it to the Russians as an absolute “victory”. This is according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).
The Kremlin is going to go to war against Ukraine until at least the fall
Insiders from the Kremlin testify: Russia’s top leadership expects the Russian-Ukrainian war to last until at least September of this year, when Russia will hold elections to the State Duma.
That is, analysts note, from a publication in one of the Russian Telegram channels specializing in the “internal kitchen” of the Kremlin, it became known that the Russian Presidential Administration held a seminar for vice-governors on domestic policy to identify key scenarios related to the upcoming elections. And it said that election planning would center on Russia’s progress in a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“An insider source claimed that the Presidential Administration outlined three scenarios, all centered around the idea that the war would still be ongoing at the time of the election. However, the scenarios differed in the degree to which Russia achieved strategic success in the war or faced pressure for greater public support for the war. The source argued that the “most likely scenario” was one in which the current wartime dynamics were maintained and the military and economic spheres did not require “radical changes,” ISW noted.
The source’s message, the analysts added, echoed information ISW had already recorded.
“ISW has recently observed similar reports of the Kremlin’s efforts to incorporate protracted war into its political agenda ahead of the upcoming elections, particularly support for candidates who strongly support war and targeted media campaigns focused on the war effort as a marker of national unity. These insider statements suggest that the Kremlin plans to continue the war at least until September, but probably much longer,” the analysts said.
At the same time, they do not rule out the possibility that Moscow is also contemplating the option of a US-brokered peace deal. But the Kremlin may be confident that it can “easily portray a potential peace settlement before September as a victory for the Russian population” – and for that reason is not wasting time and effort in creating a plan for such a scenario.
United States President Donald Trump has refuted the suggestion that Israel’s plans to attack Iran prompted his strikes. The White House chief said that it was he who may have “forced them to do it” and not the other way around.
This was reported by CNN.
The US will halt trade with Spain after its refusal to increase military spending and provide bases, US President Donald Trump said at a meeting with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, which was broadcast by the White House press office.
Mikhail Samusy:
The ultimate goal of the operation in Iran is known only to the supreme commander-in-chief and the top leadership of the United States. I don’t even think the leadership knows exactly what the United States wants. We can only speculate and analyze the situation.
It is obvious that the United States would like to bring down the Ayatollah regime, achieve a change of power and try to create conditions for negotiations with the new leadership of Iran. And judging by the way the U.S. acts in other countries, including Venezuela, they are not interested now in the model of governance – authoritarian, democratic or whatever. What they are interested in is that the people who came to power in Iran should be contractual, i.e. fulfill the requirements of the U.S. and other countries that consider Iran under the ayatollahs to be part of the “axis of evil”.
If the regime in Iran is dismantled, negotiations will begin. Even if it will be representatives of the former system, but they will agree to changes in the country and to work constructively with the United States and international organizations. The U.S. strategic objective now is to oust the existing regime, which is clearly inadequate and a key element of the “axis of evil,” which includes Russia and the DPRK, supported by China.
If the regime in Iran is dismantled, negotiations will begin. Even if it will be representatives of the former system, but they will agree to changes in the country and to work constructively with the United States and international organizations. The U.S. strategic objective now is to oust the existing regime, which is clearly inadequate and a key element of the “axis of evil,” which includes Russia and the DPRK, supported by China.
The US method now, in my opinion, has changed. I would use this pattern: strikes that weaken the regime as much as possible, and in parallel, perhaps, there is already communication with representatives of the system who are ready to change the situation.
The “axis of evil” is falling – and that’s good. China is not to be envied now. Beijing hoped to implement the strategy of “sitting on the riverbank and waiting for the corpse of the enemy – i.e., the United States – to float by.” It was supposed to use proxies: Russia destabilizes Europe, Iran destabilizes the Middle East and the oil market, and North Korea destabilizes the Asia-Pacific region. There are smaller players – in Africa and other regions.
In this construct, China only needed to provide resource and technological support. Russia, DPRK, Iran and China form a kind of military-technical cycle, where each country plays its own role. Russia, for example, invests in the Chinese economy; China supplies raw materials, components and technologies; these are deployed in the DPRK, Iran and Russia and turned into weapons used by proxies.
Without China, this “axis of evil” does not work. Russia, Iran, and the DPRK are not independently capable of providing the kind of flow of technology, money, and resources that allows for the creation of modern weapons. For example, when Shahed attacks a British base in Cyprus and Russian components are discovered, it is the result of this flow, supported by China.
If in Iran the United States really succeeds in reaching out to negotiating representatives of the former regime, then engaging the opposition and turning the country’s transformation into a comprehensible process – focused on development, investment and legal oil trade, abandoning the ideas of participation in the global redistribution of the world together with Russia, China and North Korea – it will be a serious success.
It will be a huge blow for Russia. Consistently knocking out Chinese proxies makes Moscow nervous. Understandably, Putin’s reasoning is standard: “We’re a nuclear state, we won’t be touched.” I would not simplify it that way. Judging by the U.S. methodology, the leader is being torn down – and it is not necessary to launch a large-scale military operation or use nuclear weapons to do so.
Simultaneously, work is being done with those who are ready to negotiate. Judging by the activity of Kirill Dmitriev and other representatives of the Russian elite, negotiations may be conducted not only on Ukraine, but also on a wider range of issues. The sums being voiced – 12 trillion dollars and so on – look like the creation of a financial fog.
I would look around carefully if I were Vladimir Putin. It may turn out that after a while, the only completely inadequate leader other than Kim Jong-un will be him – a man who is impossible to negotiate with. And that’s going to be a problem. Because, conditionally, Donald Trump can say: everyone wants to negotiate, there are signals from Russia about readiness to negotiate, but Putin does not want to. Then the question arises – why waste time?
The U.S. are no longer sure they will win the war, therefore the U.S. now openly declaring: they are not interested in the form of governance – that will be decided by the people of Iran. They are interested in having partners with whom they can have a normal dialogue, not relations with a terrorist organization.
Security expert Carlo Masala analyzes the current situation in the Middle East as follows:
In the war against Israel, the US, and its allies, Iran is currently relying primarily on drones. Whether the Iranian missile program has been successfully weakened, however, remains an open question for security expert Carlo Masala. “But we also know that Iran stores missiles underground. So, it’s possible that this is just a brief pause in Iran’s missile attacks,” he says.
The Iranian leadership’s calculation with attacks on its neighbors was that these neighbors would pressure the US and Israel to end the war. This has not happened; on the contrary. “The targeted neighbors are keeping open the option of actively entering this military conflict, which would be detrimental to Iran,” says Masala. “If Iran ultimately wanted to create a conflagration here, in the sense that domestic protests against the policies of the governments would erupt in many of its Arab neighbors, it has miscalculated at the moment.”
Once again Orban is making up stories of external enemies to hide massive amount of domestic problems that Fidesz government has ignored and failed to address for years. And the support for pro-Russian war-mongering could not be more clear, Orban works side-by-side with Putin to undermine Ukraines self-defence.