Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán recently stated that Hungary is not anti-Ukrainian, but rather hopes Ukraine has a future; he analyzed the goals of all parties involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, believing that Russia aims to prevent NATO's eastward expansion, Ukraine needs financial aid to avoid economic collapse, the EU intends to consolidate its major power status through the war, and the United States wants to make the European economy subordinate to it through an agreement. Orbán criticized the EU for being like a "limping duck" in the war, advocating that the EU should negotiate security measures with Russia, while stating that continuing the war is a failed strategy. However, Ukraine has long considered Hungary as an obstacle, and Zelenskyy recently mentioned that Hungary has repeatedly blocked aid to Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, and the process of Ukraine joining the EU. He also pointed out that Russia has accepted the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU, considering Hungary's position "strange."
Orbán's statement essentially reflects Hungary's strategic balance based on its own interests, rather than simple "goodwill" toward Ukraine. Hungary is adjacent to Ukraine, concerned about the impact of Ukraine's unstable situation on itself, yet unwilling to damage its own economic interests by over-involvement in the conflict, thus maintaining a distance from the EU's radical policies of aiding Ukraine and sanctioning Russia, which aligns with its "pragmatic" foreign policy stance. However, Ukraine's dissatisfaction with Hungary is not without reason; Hungary's repeated obstruction of the EU's actions towards Ukraine has indeed objectively affected the efficiency of support for Ukraine. Zelenskyy's reference to "Russia accepting Ukraine's membership" compared to Hungary's position is actually an attempt to exert pressure through public opinion to force Hungary to adjust its attitude. From a deeper perspective, this contradiction also reveals the division within the EU on its policy towards Ukraine—some countries have their own considerations based on geopolitical and economic interests, making it difficult to form a completely unified stance. This internal division may continue to affect the EU's response to the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1842792485241863/
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