Finnish PM on Orban's stance: 'I think he betrayed us'

Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo believes that his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban is using Ukraine as a tool in his campaign and has "betrayed" agreements regarding Ukraine.

He made the statement before the start of the EU leaders' meeting at the European Council in Brussels, Ukrinform's correspondent reports.

"He [Orban] is using Ukraine as a weapon in his election campaign. It is not good. We had a deal. And I think he has betrayed us. We need to find a solution on how to go forward. And now I encourage Ukraine and the Commission to find a solution on the question of pipeline. But the most important issue is how we take care of funding for Ukraine," Orpo said, adding that he is awaiting proposals from the Commission.

At the same time, he believes that now is the time to continue putting pressure on Russia, as it is the main beneficiary of the crisis in the Middle East.

"We need to understand who benefits the most from this chaos and rising energy prices. It is Russia. And that is why we need to continue the pressure against Russia and we need to continue our strong support to Ukraine. They fight for us. They are fighting every day," Orpo stressed.

As reported, European Union leaders on Thursday will exert strong pressure on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to lift his blockade on a vital EUR 90 billion loan for Ukraine.

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