Lavrov stated Europe's desire to return to the colonial era

Europe seeks to bring back the era of colonialism by imposing its will on Hungary and Slovakia. This was announced on April 24 by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"Now the Hungarians and the Slovaks are fighting with all their might, defending their interests in preserving cheap, affordable energy resources as the engine of their economy. <...> This is not an approach to international relations. This is an attempt to bring back the colonial era," the minister is quoted as saying on the website of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

Lavrov noted that the European authorities are forcing states to refuse to purchase Russian oil in order to "punish" Russia. In addition, the minister stressed that the Brussels leadership was "not elected by anyone or anywhere", unlike national governments.

Forward to the past: The United States predicted Europe's return to the Middle Ages

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Hungary and Slovakia refused to give money to Ukraine on April 22, but lifted their veto on a €90 billion loan from the European Union (EU) for 2026-2027. Prior to that, the Cypriot EU presidency approved a loan of €90 billion for Kiev and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. They clarified that the EU expects Slovakia and Hungary to renounce their disagreement after the restoration of fuel supplies via the Druzhba oil pipeline.