Lehti: Zelenskyi’s behavior is confusing – even those close to him were worried

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi has in recent weeks hardened his language towards the Hungarian Prime Minister who torments him so much Viktor Orbania as well as towards Ukraine’s allies.

Zelenskyi’s patience seems to have run out, describes the matter writing online magazine Politico. Now Zelensky’s frustration with putting pressure on Ukraine in the peace negotiations and the financial difficulties of the country’s supporters is beginning to be seen in the outside world as well.

Although the frustration with the defense war, which has been going on for the fifth year, is understandable, even Ukrainians close to Zelensky are now warning about the risks of a policy change, according to Politico. The danger is that the allies on which Ukraine depends will become distant.

“This is a cycle that turns against itself,” warns a former adviser to Zelenskyi, who, according to the newspaper, is still on good terms with the leadership of Ukraine.

Zelenskyi has criticized both the European Union’s slow decision-making and support measures and, after a more diplomatic and cautious period, also the US president Donald Trump. Trump is acting unfairly when he puts the most pressure on Ukraine in the peace negotiations, Zelenskyi has criticized.

“Irresponsible” comment

The most attention-grabbing in Zelensky’s behavior has still been his comments to Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán, who has opposed the European Union in many ways to slow down aid to Ukraine. Zelensky’s comments even touched on the EU, where Orbán is otherwise frowned upon.

Zelenskyi said he would give Ukrainian forces the address information of a “certain person”. The comment has been widely interpreted as referring to Orbán, with whom Zelenskyi and Ukraine have been feuding over the status of the Druzhba oil pipeline.

In a rare way, the European Commission warned Zelensky that he should not threaten EU member states. The comment is described as “stupid” and irresponsible in Politico’s story, among others by a Hungarian independent researcher Peter Krekóaccording to which Zelensky’s speeches benefit the Hungarian leadership’s narrative about the threat to Ukraine.

The comment was also picked up by a researcher from the University of Helsinki, Professor Jean Monnet, who knows Hungary Katalin Miklóssy fresh In an interview with New Finland. He describes Zelensky’s “vague comments” as giving Orbán weapons for the Hungarian election battle, which, for the ruling Fidesz party led by Orbán, “will boil down to fueling the threat to Ukraine.”

During the beginning of the year, Hungary and Ukraine have had a fierce war of words over the Druzhba oil pipeline, which runs through Ukraine, but Hungary is now not getting Russian oil through it. Hungary accuses Ukraine of deliberately blocking the use of the pipeline, while Ukraine says the pipeline was damaged by a Russian attack.

According to Politico, in an interview with the newspaper, Zelenskyi denied the interpretation that he would help Orbán politically with his actions.