Hungary's push for anti-Ukraine bloc collapses following Orbán's Moscow visit
global.espreso.tv
Mon, 01 Dec 2025 14:46:00 +0200

The author of the Resurgam Telegram channel discussed the issue.Orbán had been positioning the upcoming December 3 Visegrád Four summit in Budapest as a platform to pressure Ukraine into accepting a U.S.-brokered peace plan. His strategy centered on courting Polish President Karol Nawrocki, known for his ambiguous statements on Ukraine support, as the crucial link to bring Poland into what European observers have dubbed an "anti-Ukraine bloc."The Hungarian leader had scheduled multiple private meetings with Nawrocki during and after the summit, viewing the Polish president as someone who could influence both national and European policy on Ukraine. On November 22, Orbán's office sent a letter to Brussels declaring that Hungary would block all Ukraine-related initiatives until Kyiv agreed to the American peace proposal.However, Orbán's November 28 visit to the Kremlin—undertaken with a delegation of several dozen Hungarian officials to promote the "28-point plan"—backfired spectacularly. European Union officials immediately clarified the trip was unauthorized. The visit, seen as an attempt to revive so-called "Budapest negotiations" for domestic electoral purposes while securing Putin's approval to purchase Rosneft and Lukoil assets in Europe, triggered an immediate crisis with Warsaw.President Nawrocki swiftly canceled all planned bilateral meetings with Orbán. "Referring in his policy to the legacy of President Lech Kaczyński, who emphasized that Europe's security depends on solidarity, including in the energy sector, in connection with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's visit to Moscow and its context, President Nawrocki has decided to limit his visit to Hungary exclusively to the Visegrád Group presidents' summit in Esztergom," Nawrocki's office announced.The move effectively dismantles Orbán's coalition-building efforts. Analysts now consider the formation of an anti-Ukraine bloc even less likely than before, with Central European leaders expected to maintain distance from Budapest's initiatives at least until Hungary's 2026 elections determine whether Orbán can extend his tenure.On Friday, November 28, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Moscow for a meeting with dictator Vladimir Putin. In the Kremlin, they discussed Ukraine and a potential summit in Budapest.







