HUNGARY’S POSITION ON THE RUSSIA-UKRAINE WAR AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR COOPERATION IN THE VISEGRAD GROUP

Abstract

Visegrad Group (V4) composed of Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia is a significant subregional partnership that has influenced the European Union’s policies particularly in the area of migration policies. Although the group does not always speak with one voice in every policy area, Hungary became particularly estranged from the V4 due to its differing position on the Russia-Ukraine war. This study analyses the implications of Hungary’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war for the V4 cooperation. With this aim, it overviews the importance of the V4 in furthering Hungary’s interests, searches for economic and political considerations influencing Hungary’s position on the Russia- Ukraine war, and discusses the diverging positions of the rest of the block on the war with its implications for the V4 cooperation. The study benefits from the analysis of primary sources such as the V4 declarations and official statements, Hungarian presidency programs, Orbán’s statements as well as the news and the secondary research. The study finds out that Hungary endorses the unified EU stance as long as it does not contradict its core interests among which its energy security prevails. Yet, Hungary’s differing position on the war from that of the EU and the V4 by being pro-Russian as a result of being pro-Hungarian stems from its divergent views on security and foreign policy objectives. Although Hungary’s stance on the war has affected the V4 cooperation adversely at the beginning, as there is no clear end to the Russia-Ukraine war soon, Hungary’s partners shifted their attitudes to focus on their shared interests inside the V4 bloc rather than on what separates them.