The #EU’s unprecedented effort to penalize #Russia’s lucrative gas sector is already crashing into a familiar sanctions foe: #Hungary.
Unlike other EU countries, Hungary has refused to voluntarily divest from Russian gas in the wake of the war in #Ukraine. It has even struck new deals with #Moscow’s state fossil fuel giant #Gazprom to increase supplies during peak demand.
While most Western countries are concerned with extrajudicial security personnel from #China going after Chinese dissidents and other interference via secret police stations, Hungary just went and signed a deal with China: "lol, police from a totalitarian country officially patrolling our streets? sure thing"
One clear sign of how ignorant and immature the college protesters are is how they all don't seem to want to be held accountable for the crimes they committed.
I wish that our U.S. campuses would at least still assign students to read MLK's Letter from a Birmingham jail, and Thoreau's essay on Civil Disobedience.
I think these protesters have failed the guidelines of: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices exist; negotiation; self-purification; and effective direct action.
"For example in this situation, if we abandon Israel that could result in making that region into a new Iranian radical Islamist caliphate with strong ties to Moscow."
I agree. I don't think that going along with #Netanyahu's extremist policies in Gaza is necessary to prevent this, though.
#Israel is part of the West. As is #Hungary. Rogue leaders must be removed without "dumping" their countries.
Tom Burges Watson speaks to historian and political scientist Rana Mitter, who is the St Lee Chair in US-Asia Relations at the Harvard Kennedy School, as Xi Jinping met with Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban on Thursday, following his visit to Serbia on Wednesday. #EU#Serbia#Hungary
Budapest will not participate in NATO's long-term plan to support Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on May 8, calling it a "crazy mission," according to Reuters.
#Hungary will not participate in #NATO's long-term plan to aid #Ukraine, its foreign minister said on Wednesday, calling the plan a "crazy mission".
NATO allies agreed in April to initiate planning on long-term military support for Ukraine against #Russia's invasion, through setting up a fund worth 100 billion euros ($107 billion).
On the last leg of his European tour in #Hungary, Chinese President #Xi Jinping on Wednesday (8 May) is expected to tighten ties with #Budapest, its closest ally in the #EU.
#China’s ambassador to Hungary, Gong #Tao, said that “#Beijing expects from the Hungarian EU Presidency that the Hungarian side will pursue a rational and pragmatic policy towards China and will encourage other EU countries to do the same.”
Ukraine’s Security Service has detained two Ukrainian officials suspected of plotting to assassinate President Volodymyr #Zelenskyy and other top figures in a plan coordinated by #Russia, reports Semafor.
Two colonels in the State Guard of #Ukraine were detained on suspicion of working with Russia’s Federal Security Service to carry out the plot.
Six member states of the #EU sent representatives to the inauguration ceremony of Russian President Vladimir #Putin today. They include #France, #Hungary and #Slovakia, Radio Liberty reported.
The presidential inauguration is standard in #Russia, despite this being Putin's third consecutive term in office. 20 EU countries did not send officials, showing splits in the bloc over relations with #Moscow.
Who is #Xi Jinping’s travel agent? If you are making your first trip to #Europe in nearly five years, an itinerary that reads #France, #Serbia, #Hungary seems a little eccentric.
But the three stops chosen by #China’s leader make perfect sense viewed from #Beijing. For strategic and economic reasons, China badly wants to disrupt the unity of both #Nato and the #EU.
The #US and most #EU nations will boycott a #Kremlin ceremony to swear in Vladimir #Putin for a new six-year term as president on Tuesday, but #France and some other EU states were expected to send an envoy despite a plea by #Kyiv.
The varying diplomatic response by the Western powers underscored differences over how to handle the Russian leader more than two years after he launched a full-scale invasion of #Ukraine.
Zelensky holds 'focused' call with Orban, invites him to peace summit (kyivindependent.com)
President Volodymyr Zelensky held "a lengthy and focused" call with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on May 8, Zelensky wrote on X.
Hungary's FM opposes NATO's long-term Ukraine aid plan, calls it 'crazy mission' (kyivindependent.com)
Budapest will not participate in NATO's long-term plan to support Ukraine, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on May 8, calling it a "crazy mission," according to Reuters.