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Two European leaders have pushed back against the EU’s unified statement on Ukraine unless the upcoming summit calls for an immediate ceasefire and direct negotiations with Russia.
Some shit you should know before you read: Since the war broke out in Ukraine, the majority of Europe has been unified in its military and financial support for Kyiv, but Hungary and Slovakia have taken a far more critical stance. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has consistently opposed EU sanctions on Russia, blocked military aid packages, and refused to send weapons to Ukraine, arguing that arming Ukraine only prolongs the conflict. Similarly, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico halted all military aid to Ukraine after taking office in 2023, though he has allowed private arms sales to continue. Both leaders have echoed Russian narratives, with Orbán calling Ukraine a “non-sovereign state” and Fico questioning Ukraine’s ability to win the war, arguing that negotiations with Moscow are the only viable solution. Their governments have also prioritized economic ties with Russia, particularly regarding energy, often putting them at odds with the broader EU strategy of isolating Moscow.
What’s going on now: Ahead of a major EU summit on March 6, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico are warning that they will block a joint European Union statement on Ukraine unless significant changes are made. The statement, which must be unanimously approved by all EU members, would reaffirm the EU’s commitment to supporting Ukraine militarily and financially while also stressing that any peace talks must include Ukraine and be accompanied by strong security guarantees.
Orbán and Fico, however, reject this approach, arguing that the EU should instead push for an immediate ceasefire and begin direct negotiations with Russia. Both leaders insist that without acknowledging alternative paths to ending the war—ones that do not rely on military aid—the EU risks prolonging the conflict rather than resolving it.
Orbán has called for the EU to follow the United States’ lead in starting talks with Russia, a move that many EU countries refuse to do. Fico, meanwhile, has argued that Ukraine is too weak to negotiate from a position of military strength, making the EU’s current “peace through strength” strategy ineffective. He has also demanded that the summit conclusions include provisions for restoring Russian gas transit through Ukraine to Slovakia and Western Europe.
