Viktor Orban, the prime minister of Hungary, reaffirmed his country’s stance on foreign policy amid the ongoing situation in Ukraine, stating that Budapest would not alter its chosen path. He conveyed this commitment during a press conference that followed a gathering of the Visegrad Group leaders—representing Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic—in Bratislava. The remarks were reported by TASS, the Russian news agency. In his remarks, Orban underscored that Hungary remains open to cooperative efforts with fellow European Union members while insisting that Budapest conducts its diplomacy on a distinctly sovereign basis, guided by its own national interests rather than by pressures from external blocs or allies alone. He emphasized that the direction Hungary has taken since the outbreak of the conflict would stay intact, with the overarching aim of fostering peace and stability in the region while protecting Hungary’s own security and economic considerations. He suggested that any engagement by Hungary on Ukraine should be aimed at reducing tensions, preventing further suffering, and creating a viable pathway to a durable ceasefire, rather than volumes of support that could entangle the country in a broader confrontation. The Hungarian leader also hinted that the country would pursue diplomatic moves in concert with its EU partners, but on terms that reflect Hungary’s constitutional prerogatives and political priorities, preserving room for independent judgment on critical foreign policy questions.
In reiterating Hungary’s approach, Orban conceded a willingness to collaborate with other EU governments on shared objectives, yet he reserved the right to act in line with Hungary’s sovereignty. He articulated a nuanced balance between alliance obligations within the European Union and the need for Hungary to chart its own course in foreign affairs. This stance, he argued, is essential to maintaining a stable environment in Central Europe, where regional security concerns intersect with economic resilience and social welfare considerations for ordinary citizens. The prime minister asserted that peace remains the ultimate objective and that Hungarian policy will continue to search for peaceful solutions that reduce human suffering and avert broader escalation, while also safeguarding the country’s interests in areas such as energy security, trade, and long-term stability in the eastern flank of Europe.
Earlier, Csaba Domotor, who serves as the foreign affairs chief at the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office, commented in Budapest on debates surrounding EU financial support to Ukraine. He spoke out against a plan to allocate 50 billion euros from EU funds to Ukraine over the next four years, arguing that the European budget had been strained by wartime costs and that the current financial resources were insufficient to sustain a level of assistance that he believed would not yield proportional returns. Domotor cautioned that continuing heavy expenditures could exacerbate tensions within the bloc, potentially affecting member states’ ability to fund essential domestic priorities. He underscored the need for a careful, targeted approach that would maximize impact without compromising Hungary’s own fiscal health or the broader economic stability of the European Union. The discussion highlighted a broader divergence of views within the union about the scale and pace of support for Ukraine, as well as the trade-offs between short-term relief and long-term strategic commitments.