Poland: Protest outside Hungarian Embassy over Hungary's stance on EU curbs against Russia

A performance was held outside the Hungarian Embassy in Poland to protest against Hungary's stance on European Union sanctions against Russia on Saturday, June 4. People participated in a performance where participants played the roles of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, Ukrinform reported. The people showed the leaders and Patriarch Kirill dancing and even placed a dummy Druzhba oil pipeline which symbolically showed 'Ukrainian blood flowing instead of oil.' 

During the performance, the activist who played the role of Viktor Orban encouraged everyone to have fun as Hungary continues to purchase Russian energy despite Moscow's military offensive in Ukraine. The person playing the role of Orban even invited people acting as Putin and Kirill to enjoy with him. During the protest, all the people drank wine and poured it on each other to showcase happiness over the purchase of cheap oil. As per the news report, the beet juice poured over the people participating in the performance tried to show 'Ukrainian blood' who were dying due to the Russian military offensive in Ukraine. 

Natalia Panchenko, the leader of Euromaidan Warszawa said that the event was organised to show the "true face of Orban" to Europe and the entire world, as per the Ukrinform report. She informed that the performance showed people playing the characters of Orban, Putin and Kirill hugging each other. She stressed that the politicians have shown their face as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues for the fourth month and added that they decided to showcase it to the whole world. 

Hungary PM welcomes exemption in Russian oil embargo

Earlier on May 31, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban welcomed the exemption in the Russian oil embargo that permitted his country to keep receiving Russian crude. Orban in a video statement said that the European Commission's "proposal to ban the use of Russian oil in Hungary was defeated," according to AP. He further said that the people in Hungary can sleep well as the "most outrageous idea has been averted." Notably, Hungary imports 65% of its oil and 85% of its gas from Russia and did not agree to the EU's proposal to impose an embargo on Russian oil.

Viktor Orban had even opposed the sanctions against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, AP reported citing EU diplomats who spoke on condition on anonymity. The EU had initially planned to impose sanctions against Patriarch Kirill. However, the decision to impose sanctions against Kirill required the approval of all the EU nations. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, in a tweet said that exclusion of Patriarch Kirill from sanctions indicates "limits of foreign policy based on unanimity." 

Image: AP