There are problems, there are challenges. But we're not losing.
Orbán demands Ukraine restore Russian oil transit through Druzhba pipeline, leveraging EU aid as leverage in energy dispute with Kremlin allies. Zelenskyy counters that Ukraine is not losing the war, claiming 300 sq km liberated in recent counteroffensives despite Starlink outages.
- Hungary threatens to veto €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine over Druzhba pipeline closure
- Zelenskyy claims 300 square kilometers liberated in recent counteroffensives
- Five European powers launch joint drone development program with multimillion-dollar commitments
- Over 5,000 women and girls killed, 14,000 injured in Ukraine since February 2022 invasion
Hungary's Viktor Orbán threatens to veto a €90bn EU loan to Ukraine unless Kyiv reopens the Russian Druzhba oil pipeline, escalating tensions within the bloc as Ukraine marks four years of war.
On the eve of Ukraine's fourth anniversary of war, Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orbán has weaponized a €90 billion EU loan package, conditioning its release on Ukraine's agreement to restore Russian oil flowing through the Druzhba pipeline across its territory. The pipeline was damaged in a Russian attack in January, and Ukrainian authorities have kept it shut. Orbán, speaking on Facebook, framed the demand as non-negotiable: Hungary will block the aid until the oil flows again. Slovakia's prime minister Robert Fico, aligned with Orbán on the issue, declared a state of emergency over energy supplies and threatened retaliatory action against Kyiv if the pipeline remained closed. Hungary's foreign minister Peter Szijjarto went further, arguing that Ukraine's closure of the pipeline violated the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement and constituted a breach of European commitments. The standoff reveals a fracture within the European bloc itself—two member states leveraging collective aid to Ukraine as leverage in an energy dispute that ultimately benefits Russia.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy responded to the pressure with defiance about Ukraine's military position. Speaking to international media ahead of the war's fourth anniversary on February 24, the Ukrainian president rejected the narrative of decline. His forces, he said, had liberated 300 square kilometers in recent counteroffensives along the southern front, though he offered no timeline for the claim and acknowledged he could not provide extensive detail. The assertion could not be independently verified. Zelenskyy conceded that Ukrainian forces faced real obstacles—including widespread outages of Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet terminals that had swept across the front lines. The interruptions affected both Ukrainian and Russian operations, though Zelenskyy suggested his forces were adapting to the disruptions. "There are problems, there are challenges," he said, but the broader message was clear: Ukraine was not in retreat.
The military dimension of the conflict is reshaping European defense strategy. Five of Europe's largest military powers—Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and Poland—announced a joint initiative on Friday to rapidly develop and produce low-cost drones. The program, called Leap (low-cost effectors and autonomous platforms), aims to strengthen NATO's collective security while deepening European industrial cooperation. German defense minister Boris Pistorius emphasized the goal of developing innovative systems for drone defense and then manufacturing them at scale. Britain's Luke Pollard said each participating nation had committed multimillion-dollar investments, with the first components expected to enter production within twelve months. The initiative reflects how the Ukraine war has accelerated the militarization of European industry and doctrine.
On the ground, Ukrainian forces continued striking deep into Russian territory. Early Saturday, Ukrainian drones damaged a site in Russia's Udmurtia region, according to the regional governor Alexander Brechalov, who reported injuries. An unofficial Ukrainian military channel claimed the strike had hit a missile manufacturing plant in the city of Votkinsk, roughly 1,400 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The attack underscored Ukraine's ability to project force far beyond the conventional front lines, even as it faces resource constraints and energy disruptions.
The human toll of the war continues to mount. Sofia Calltorp, head of UN Women in Geneva, reported Friday that more than 5,000 women and girls have been killed in Ukraine since the invasion began in February 2022, with another 14,000 wounded. The figures capture only one dimension of the conflict's devastation. Meanwhile, Ukrainian athletes announced they would boycott the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Paralympics on March 6 in protest of the International Paralympic Committee's decision to allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete under a combined flag. The political storm over the Games reflects how the war has fractured even the symbolic spaces of international sport.
As Ukraine approaches the fourth anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion, the conflict has become a test of European unity and resolve. Orbán's veto threat exposes the vulnerability of collective action when member states prioritize energy relationships with Russia over unified support for Ukraine. Zelenskyy's claims of military progress, whether fully verified or not, signal that Ukraine intends to negotiate from a position of strength rather than desperation. The European drone initiative and the continued Ukrainian strikes on Russian targets suggest the war is entering a new phase—one in which technological innovation and industrial capacity will matter as much as traditional military advantage. The question Zelenskyy posed—whether Ukraine will win, not merely survive—remains open, and the answer may depend as much on European cohesion as on Ukrainian military performance.
Citas Notables
As long as Ukraine blocks the Druzhba pipeline, Hungary will block the €90 billion Ukrainian war loan. We will not be pushed around.— Viktor Orbán, Hungarian prime minister
You can't say that we're losing the war. The question is whether we will win. That is the question—but it's a very costly question.— Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukrainian president
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would Orbán risk fracturing the EU over an oil pipeline? Doesn't Hungary need European unity against Russia?
Orbán sees it differently. He's betting that energy security—keeping Russian oil flowing to Hungary and Slovakia—matters more than the symbolic gesture of unified aid to Ukraine. He's also signaling to Putin that some European leaders won't be pushed around by the West.
But blocking €90 billion seems extreme. What does Ukraine actually need that money for?
It's not just about the money itself. It's about the signal. If Hungary can veto aid over a pipeline dispute, it means Ukraine can't count on Europe's commitment. That weakens Zelenskyy's negotiating position with Russia.
Zelenskyy claims 300 square kilometers liberated. Is that real progress or propaganda?
It's hard to verify without independent confirmation. But the fact that he's claiming it—and that his forces are striking targets 1,400 kilometers inside Russia—suggests Ukraine still has offensive capacity. That matters psychologically and strategically.
What about the Starlink outages? How much does that actually affect the fighting?
It's significant. Starlink is how Ukrainian forces coordinate across distributed positions. When it goes down, both sides lose capability, but Ukraine loses more because it relies on it more heavily. Zelenskyy admitted the problem but framed it as manageable.
The drone initiative—is that Europe finally taking the war seriously?
It's Europe recognizing that Ukraine has changed how modern warfare works. Drones are cheap, effective, and can be produced at scale. If Europe can master that technology, it shifts the balance. But it also means the war isn't ending soon.