Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will receive the European Union’s highest honor, the European Order of Merit, which is being handed out for the first time this year. The award has been launched on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, “the starting point of European unity.”
“The award recognizes individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to European integration and the protection of the EU’s fundamental values - respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality and the rule of law,” according to the EU’s site.
The award comes at a questionable time though, with Zelensky recently generating global headlines with what appeared to be a direct threat on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s life.
Speaking about the state of Ukraine’s armed forces on Thursday last week, Zelensky expressed frustration to a Ukrainian parliamentary committee that Hungary has blocked a proposed €90 billion joint European loan intended to finance weapons for Ukraine. Budapest has withheld support for the measure amid an ongoing dispute triggered by the shutdown of the Druzhba, or Friendship, oil pipeline that carries Russian crude oil through Ukraine to Hungary and Slovakia.
“We hope that not a single person in the European Union will block the 90 billion, or the first tranche of the 90 billion [euros], and that the Ukrainian soldiers will have weapons,” Zelensky said during the briefing.
He then added a remark that Hungarian officials interpreted as a threat directed at Orbán.
“Otherwise, we will give this person’s address to our armed forces, and then they will call him and speak to him in their own language,” Zelensky said.
The remarks were not only broadly condemned by the Hungarian government, but even the Hungarian opposition leader, Peter Magyar, said the comments were unacceptable. Furthermore, other European political leaders also spoke out against the threat, as well as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.
Even the European Union itself condemned his threat.
“Specifically in relation to the comments made by President Zelenskyy, we are very clear as the European Commission that that type of language is not acceptable. There must not be threats against EU member states,” Commission deputy chief spokesperson Olof Gill told reporters last week, in what Politico noted was a rare condemnation of the leader in Kyiv.”
Zelensky’s questionable history
The threat against Orbán is not even the only issue facing Zelensky, either. In light of the numerous corruption scandals Zelensky has found himself in, not to mention that Ukraine is not a member of the EU, there are some who are questioning the gesture of awarding Zelensky with such a prestigious award. However, it is perhaps no surprise given the EU’s fervent support for Ukraine at all costs, even if it runs against the interests of current EU members such as Hungary.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Polish President Lech Walesa are also among the recipients, with the three alone receiving the highest honor of “Distinguished Member.” Several others received the distinction of “Honourable Member” and still others, “Member.”
Máté Kocsis, leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group in Hungary’s National Assembly, commented on the news in a video published on his Facebook page.
“The President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola announced that the highest degree of the European Order of Merit will, of course, be awarded to Volodymyr Zelensky,” Koscis began the video.
“Who the hell would get it, if not the one who threatened to kill the prime minister of a European Union member state, or the one who blocked an oil pipeline from a member state, causing an energy crisis, or the one who interfered in a country’s election campaign?” the leader of the Fidesz parliamentary faction continued.
“Of course he gets it, Zelensky gets it! Congratulations, Mr. President!” concluded Kocsis.
AfD leader Alice Weidel had this to say about the recognition: “The EU awards Merkel and Zelensky the highest Order of Merit. One of them ruined Germany for 16 years, the other is picking up right where she left off. The EU calls this ‘services to Europe.’”
The post Despite threat to send soldiers to Orbán’s home, Zelensky joins Merkel and Walesa to receive EU’s highest honor appeared first on Remix News.
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