Hungary’s Foreign Policy Orientation at the Beginning of the RussianUkrainian War as a Factor in the New Crisis of the Visegrad Group
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31861/mediaforum.2024.15.109-122Keywords:
Visegrad Group, Hungary, Full-scale Invasion, pro-Russian Policy, Sanctions, Relations Between Ukraine and HungaryAbstract
For the Visegrad Group (VG) countries, the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 has become a particularly relevant feature of each member’s foreign policy. Today, it has become obvious that the full-scale Russian-Ukrainian war that began on February 24, 2022, will have a significant impact not only on the warring parties, but its consequences will be felt by a number of countries. The VG countries, as elements of the regional subsystem, are forced to respond to security challenges. All VG countries, with the exception of Hungary, understand the risks of further Russian expansion in the event of Ukraine’s defeat and are trying to avoid this, paying special attention not only to helping our state, but also to its own defense. Budapest has chosen a position that differs from the VG partner countries and the EU as a whole. The article analyzes the position of official Budapest after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The focus is on factors that influence the position of Viktor Orban's government (different from other members of the VG), in particular, the issue of support for sanctions against Russia, military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine, the role of the Hungarian ethnic minority in Ukraine, economic cooperation between Hungary and Russia, and the domestic political situation in the country, which directly affects the foreign policy of official Budapest, is considered.
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