Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is working to create an EU alliance of Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia that would oppose Ukraine, according to Politico.
Will Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovakia form a “Ukraine‑skeptical” alliance?
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking to establish a “Ukraine‑skeptical” alliance with the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He told Politico that his political adviser, Balázs Orban—who is unrelated to the Hungarian government head—holds this view. Orban intends to coordinate positions with Slovak counterpart Robert Fico and Czech premier candidate Andrej Babis before EU summits.
Potential impact on Ukraine aid
While a durable political alliance among the three countries is not yet evident, Politico notes the bloc could hinder the EU’s financial and military assistance to Ukraine in its defense against Russia. “I believe the (Ukraine‑skeptical) bloc will emerge and become increasingly visible,” said Orban’s adviser. The Visegrád Group, which formally includes Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia, worked well during the 2015 refugee crisis, but relations between Hungary and Poland have deteriorated over differing approaches to the Ukraine‑Russia issue.
Slovak PM’s criticism of Ukraine
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has repeatedly criticized Ukraine, calling it “an entirely corrupt country.” Nevertheless, at the EU level he ultimately supported blocking actions against Kyiv that Budapest demanded.
Babis’s opposition to funding and ammunition shipment
Andrej Babis, who recently won the Czech parliamentary elections and may become the country’s premier, opposed financing Ukraine’s military supplies from the Czech budget and wants to halt Czech initiatives for shipping ammunition to Ukraine. Observers expect Babis to soften his rhetoric once in office. Babis’s right‑wing populist party ANO and Hungary’s Fidesz already cooperate closely in the European Parliament as part of the Patriots for Europe faction, while Fico’s Smer party has identified itself as left‑wing.