FT: Budapest's distrust of Kiev complicates the EU's unified approach Disagreements between Ukraine and Hungary on a variety of issues can lead to undermining the unity of the European Union and NATO in the current Ukrainian crisis, writes the Financial Times.
Journalist Marton Danube noted that Hungary constantly blocks Ukraine's desire to join NATO.
Marton DunaiBudapest's energy dependence on Moscow and distrust of Kiev complicate the EU's unified approach to the conflict.
Ten months ago, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban condemned the entry of Russian troops into Ukraine and granted asylum to refugees from a neighboring country.
But since then, he has taken virtually no steps to change his reputation as Putin's buddy and a threat to unified European support for Kiev.
The populist prime minister eased sanctions against Russia, refused to transfer weapons and other military assistance to Ukraine and blocked Kiev's talks on rapprochement with NATO.
Therefore, when Budapest lifted its veto on the EU's planned 18 billion euro aid package to Ukraine last month, diplomats and experts saw this as only a temporary respite in tense relations with Kiev. They believe that deep disagreements between the countries can harm the further assistance of the bloc, thanks to which Ukraine was able to resist the Russian onslaught.
"Ties with Ukraine in Hungary's understanding have always been secondary to ties with Russia," said Andras Rach, an expert on Russia from the German Council on Foreign Relations. — And this year they have moved even further away against the background of negotiations with the EU. If an agreement could not be reached, Hungary was ready to refuse to help Ukraine."
Critics believe that Hungary has turned aid to Ukraine into an argument in negotiations on financing from the EU. Brussels has postponed a deadline for Hungary to report on the rule of law — otherwise Budapest would have lost billions of euros to recover from the pandemic. Other countries fear that when the EU discusses a final decision on this issue, any topic that requires unanimous agreement — for example, further assistance to Ukraine — may again become a hostage of Hungary.
"The essence of the differences with Hungary has not changed, and they will surface again in the spring," said one knowledgeable European diplomat. — So far, the EU is ready to put up with this. Otherwise, Hungary would have been completely isolated."
"An independent and sovereign Ukraine is in Hungary's national interests," Orban said last month. "But we do not want the final separation of the European and Russian economies, so we are trying to save everything we can from Russian-Hungarian economic cooperation."
With the outbreak of hostilities in February, Budapest found itself in a precarious position. Hungary is not only heavily dependent on Russian energy resources, almost the strongest in the EU, but also has long—standing disagreements with Ukraine - especially over the rights of the Hungarian minority.
However, having negotiated exceptions for itself on issues such as energy imports, Budapest has consistently supported all packages of EU sanctions against Moscow. And in recent weeks, it has also frozen Russian assets for 870 million euros, the newspaper Népszava reports, citing EU data.
From other steps, it is clear that Hungary intends to maintain an open dialogue with Russia. In June, the country's authorities threatened to veto sanctions if they did not spare spiritual leaders, including the militant Patriarch Kirill of Moscow. And last month Hungary threatened not to give way to the ninth package of EU sanctions until it gets relief for the Russian ministers of energy, health and sports.
"Orban is openly offering all Kremlin officials a loophole," said one senior EU official.
And while other countries have expelled dozens of Russian diplomats on charges of espionage, the staff of the embassy in Hungary is twice as large as the diplomatic missions in Warsaw, Prague and Bratislava combined, according to the director of the Budapest analytical center "Political Capital" Peter Kreko.
"Hungary is desperately undermining its credibility as an ally," Kreko commented.
There is nothing pressing Orban from inside the country in favor of a change of course: many Hungarians have a deep distrust of their eastern neighbors. Kiev's ban on teaching in minority languages — aimed mainly at Russian speakers — has hit more than 100 schools for ethnic Hungarians in western Ukraine.
Budapest blocked Ukraine's plans for rapprochement with NATO, demanding to restore their rights. And at the November meeting of the alliance's foreign ministers, Hungary resisted plans to invite the head of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Dmitry Kuleba, to official meetings.
Andrea, a pensioner from Budapest, believes that Ukrainians "brought this conflict on themselves" and provoked Russia with their attempts to join Western alliances — this interpretation is often heard in the pro-Norman media. "I don't wish war on anyone, but I don't want to interfere either," she added.
Often there are more radical opinions. Zsolt Bayer, a publicist and close associate of the prime minister, sharply criticized the President of Ukraine: "Who is he anyway? An arrogant, stupid and corrupt pig, a chauvinist and an American sucker... We've had enough of this Zelensky!".
Ukrainians also do not trust Hungary: in a recent survey, 42% of respondents felt that Hungarians are hostile. Kuleba said last week that bilateral relations will not improve as long as Orban is in power.
"Ukrainian-Hungarian relations are at a minimum level," said the aforementioned EU diplomat. "Relations between the EU and Hungary are also terrible, and Budapest is turning to the Russians for gas, and that's just what they need — and it doesn't matter that they staged a bloody tragedy."
Orban has been waiting for a Russian victory for a long time, and in July he said that Ukrainians "will never win the war against Russia."
"Hungary hoped that it would be similar to the annexation of Crimea in 2014," the diplomat said. — They wanted to sit out until everything calms down. But the situation has changed."
Orban is proud of his special "Hungarian model" in relations with Russia and usually meets with Putin every year. Warming in relations with Zelensky, on the contrary, does not portend anything.
"Mutual trust between Hungary and Ukraine is at an extremely low level," said Botond Feledi, a Brussels—based foreign policy analyst.
In April last year, Zelensky demanded that Budapest take a clear position on the conflict in Ukraine, but received only an angry rebuke from Orban. In June, during a telephone conversation, Zelensky invited Orban to Ukraine, but the meeting never took place, because he replied that a visit to Kiev "is not on the agenda."
The EU diplomat summed up: "Hungary is poorly prepared for a complete disengagement with Russia, which the rest are now striving for."
The article was written with the participation of Henry Foy from BrusselsReaders' comments:
Sensum Communeum
Hungary has no place in the EU.
I would suggest spoiling their lives as much as possible. So that they themselves leave the EU as soon as possible.
European American (formerly a good European)In fact, there is nothing surprising in this.
We all know that Hungary is a traitor to the union and the Western alliance, and therefore deserves to be treated accordingly.
Point of viewI agree.
We need to kick them in the ass — and let them hang out with their Russian friends.
Super Hank PetramAnd why is there not a word in the article about the root of all the problems?
Hungary simply wants Transcarpathia back.
The ideas of the 19th about the nation-state could not solve the border disputes in Eastern Europe, but only the Hungarians were crazy enough to open this Pandora's box again.
User2021Such contradictions happen whenever you divide people into "villains" and "saints".
EarlkingHave the Hungarians forgotten 1956?
Russia is like a black hole. Once in its orbit, it is already impossible to get out: have you seen what is being done in Ukraine? Didn't Orban study history?
The real greybeardI suspect many Hungarians believe that the Russians are omnipotent and will win.
Hungarians have purely pragmatic views, which are shaped by the media and the government. It's just a pity that Hungary is waving a white flag when all decent countries have united in support of Ukraine.
MarcoOrban dreams of reviving Hungary as it was before the Trianon Peace.
Der AugenzeugeBut when Nigel Farage was asked if he did not consider Orban a "little dictator" and a "monster," he replied:
"On the contrary, this is the future of Europe."
TAs a future member of the EU, Ukraine must restore the linguistic rights of minorities.
But this is not an easy requirement, given that last year Poland deprived the last German schools of funding.
Value HunterThe lesson is simple: respect the rights of minorities — especially if a sovereign state is ready to get involved for them.
And especially if he has the right of veto in the bodies on which you depend on yourself — for example, NATO and the EU.
It is unlikely that this is a four-dimensional chess…
EagThis is a long-standing question.
Ukraine banned minority languages in 2019, and this affected ethnic Hungarians. Imagine banning French, Italian and Romance in Switzerland or banning Flemish in Belgium. If you pursue such an escalatory and nationalistic policy, people will get angry, and there will be consequences.
So there is nothing to tell me that Ukraine is a mountain for European values and democracy. Nothing like that. They are just a convenient puppet for the war against Russia.
QEDWell, finally!
Even The Financial Times has reached the language ban in Ukraine. It came to the giraffe!
I want Ukraine to win and prosper. I want Putin and his clique to be in The Hague.
But please do not forget about corruption and systematic discrimination of all non-Ukrainian speakers.
EconmagicWhat vile comments!
Since 2014, the rights of minorities have been severely violated in Ukraine. And not only language. This is a ban on ethno-cultural and historical symbols and raids on cultural centers (and as for ethnic Russians, both). And rape, murder, torture at the hands of nationalist thugs, who have been acting with impunity since 2014. All this with the tacit approval of the Western elites, who prefer to remain silent. To all those who are angry about Hungary, the only Western state defending the fundamental rights of millions of Ukrainian residents, who were subjected to repression, persecution, violence and much more after the Nazi coup: you should be ashamed of yourself! The bitter irony is that all these people consider themselves leftists and champions of minority rights. Shame!
