Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s political director and adviser, Balázs Orbán, announced that Hungary aims to join forces with the Czech Republic and Slovakia to create an alliance within the European Union that would oppose continued support for Ukraine. According to him, the purpose of such cooperation is to coordinate the positions of the three countries before meetings of EU leaders, including holding preliminary consultations ahead of summits, reports Baltimore Chronicle citing Politico.
Balázs Orbán explained that the Hungarian government expects to work closely with former Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš, whose right-wing populist party recently won parliamentary elections, and with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico. According to the adviser, these two leaders could become key partners in promoting an “alternative approach” toward Ukraine within the EU.
Politico notes that although a formal alliance has not yet been established, its potential creation could seriously undermine the European Union’s efforts to maintain financial and military assistance to Kyiv.
“I think it will happen — and it will become increasingly visible,” Balázs Orbán said when asked about the likelihood of forming a Ukraine-skeptical bloc that would act as a coordinated group within the European Council.
According to Orbán’s representative, this initiative would effectively revive the activities of the former Visegrád Group — an alliance that once included Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland. After 2015, when Warsaw was governed by a Eurosceptic administration under Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, the group advocated for stronger EU borders and opposed mandatory migrant relocation quotas among member states.
However, the alliance fell apart after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Poland adopted a firm anti-Russian stance, while Hungary took the opposite position, leading to the dissolution of the Visegrád Four.
The new Visegrád-style bloc would consist of only three members. Poland, under the leadership of Donald Tusk, remains firmly supportive of Ukraine and is unlikely to join any coalition with Viktor Orbán.
At the same time, both Fico and Babiš have echoed Orbán’s position, calling for dialogue with Moscow instead of continued economic pressure. Andrej Babiš has already faced criticism for his skepticism toward further EU assistance to Ukraine. The Czech foreign minister warned that Babiš could become “Orbán’s puppet” at the European Council table.
Earlier we wrote that Hungary Launches Petition Against EU’s Military Plans Amid Fears of War.
