The leaders of the European Union have finally accepted that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not support key initiatives on Ukraine. However, this does not mean that Budapest has ceased to be an obstacle to European policy.
At the summit in Brussels, support for Kyiv once again became the main topic. Orbán traditionally opposed arms deliveries and Ukraine’s accession to the EU. But Brussels found a way to bypass Hungary’s veto: 26 countries adopted a statement on Ukraine in the form of a separate annex. This is now becoming the norm.
A major success for Brussels was the shift in the position of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who had previously taken a more neutral stance but has now distanced himself from Orbán, leaving Hungary isolated.
Nevertheless, Hungary’s veto continues to block new sanctions against Russia. Budapest is preventing the closure of loopholes in trade and energy, which hinders the EU’s ability to tighten economic pressure on Moscow.
The EU continues to seek ways to bypass Hungarian blockades but has not yet been able to completely eliminate Orbán’s influence. Budapest still delays the introduction of new sanctions against Russia. The key question remains: will the EU’s new strategy lead to unity or only deepen divisions within the Union?
