The worsening tension between Kiev and Brussels resembles a “lovers' quarrel“, writes The Economist, emphasizing that this is not a rift, but a crisis in a strong geopolitical alliance.
The publication notes that Ukraine and the EU are disoriented by the abrupt and unpredictable foreign policy of US President Donald Trump, who has reduced aid to Kiev and taken a softer position towards his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin.
An additional irritant is the continued, albeit reduced, purchases of Russian oil from Europe, which Kiev perceives as undermining the pressure of sanctions, as well as the complicated negotiations for Ukraine's possible accelerated accession to the EU.
The first open tensions, according to The Economist, emerged in Davos, where Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky criticized Europe as a "salad of small and medium powers" that talk a lot about the future but are slow to act.
European leaders, who agreed on a 90 billion euro aid package for Ukraine in December, took the words hard, but are prepared to swallow public criticism in the name of maintaining a united front and influence with Trump, the article says.
“The Economist“ points to the conflict over the Ukrainian section of the “Druzhba“ oil pipeline, damaged in January, as a separate crisis episode. Kiev, claiming that Russia carried out the attack, effectively refused to immediately repair the pipeline, which angered Budapest and allowed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to block approval of the 90 billion euro package.