Russian invasion

Sanctions
Failed sanctions package disappoints Kallas

EU member states are failing to reach an agreement on the 20th sanctions package against Russia, says Foreign Minister Kaja Kallas according to The Guardian.

– It is sad that we did not reach an agreement today, considering that it is a sad anniversary of this war tomorrow.

Hungary has blocked the EU's sanctions package and a billion-euro loan to Ukraine and is demanding that the transport of Russian oil through Ukraine be resumed.

The EU Commission and the European Council will hold talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán about the move, according to Kallas.

Poland accuses Hungary of political sabotage

Hungary's obstruction of stopping new EU sanctions against Russia and a new loan to Ukraine is political sabotage. That is what Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk says, Reuters reports.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is a close ally of Vladimir Putin, is demanding that Ukraine resume transporting Russian oil.

The EU has repeatedly had to persuade Hungary to back its support for Ukraine.

Ukraine: “Hungary cannot hold the EU hostage”

Hungary and Slovakia cannot hold the entire EU hostage in the oil dispute with Ukraine, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha writes on X.

Demands to resume oil shipments through the Druzhba pipeline via Ukraine should be addressed directly to the Kremlin instead, according to him.

“We call on both parties to engage in constructive cooperation and to act responsibly,” he writes.

Hungary announced on Sunday that it is blocking the EU’s 20th package of sanctions against Russia and a billion-euro loan to Ukraine, citing the fact that oil is no longer being transported to Hungary and Slovakia via the Druzhba pipeline.

The oil flow was stopped at the end of January, which Ukraine says is due to damage from Russian attacks. Until repairs are complete, Ukraine has offered alternative transport routes.

The world's response
Slovakia stops electricity aid to Ukraine

Slovakia plans to stop supporting Ukraine with energy, the country's pro-Russia Prime Minister Robert Fico said on Facebook.

Slovakia wants Ukraine to resume the transport of Russian energy via the Druzhba pipeline. Fico said he had tried to reach President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the situation. According to him, he was told that Zelensky would not be available until Wednesday.

That is why he has asked the state electricity company SEPS not to help Ukraine with energy.

- Ukraine will not receive any help if they turn to Slovakia to stabilize the Ukrainian electricity grid, he says.

Lech Walesa: Donald Trump is either a traitor or extremely intelligent

The way Donald Trump deals with Russia makes him either a traitor or an "extremely intelligent political leader". This is what Nobel laureate Lech Walesa told AFP.

- On the surface, he looks like a Russian lackey today. A traitor, simply. That's one way to look at it, says Walesa, alluding to Trump's repeated positive comments about Vladimir Putin and criticism of Ukraine.

Walesa, founder of the Solidarity movement, also notes that the American president's attitude to the war may be a tactic.

Trump is aware that there is a great risk of nuclear war if he goes too hard on Putin, he says.