Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking to forge a Ukraine-skeptical alliance with Slovakia and the Czech Republic, his political adviser Balazs Orban told "Politico", DPA reported. The agency notes that Balazs Orban is not related to the Hungarian prime minister, BTA reported.
The right-wing Hungarian leader aims to coordinate his positions with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis ahead of future EU summits, the adviser said.
Although no formal alliance between the three countries is currently in sight, such coordination could significantly hamper the European Union's efforts to provide financial and military support to Ukraine.
"I think it will happen – and will become increasingly visible," said Balazs Orban in an interview published today.
He noted that cooperation between eastern EU countries had already worked "very well" during the 2015 migration crisis.
Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic are part of the Visegrad Group, which also includes Poland. However, relations between Budapest and Warsaw have cooled in recent years due to differences in their positions on Russia's war in Ukraine, DPA reported.
Despite being re-elected as Slovakia's prime minister in 2023, Robert Fico has not formally allied with the Hungarian leader on specific policy areas. Babis has yet to form a government after his party's recent election victory.