Hungary, Slovakia threaten EU unity on Russia, Ukraine ahead of key summit

Leaders of Slovakia and Hungary on March 1 threatened to block EU statements during a key summit next week unless the bloc calls for an immediate ceasefire and launches talks with Russia.

European Council President Antonio Costa called a meeting of EU leaders on March 6 to discuss defense spending, further support for Kyiv, and to showcase unity after U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance's humiliating treatment of President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office earlier this week.

Zelensky has also been invited to the EU summit, which will take place after a meeting with international partners in London on March 2 that will exclude Slovak and Hungarian representatives.

In a letter to Costa obtained by Reuters, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reportedly urged the EU to abandon plans for a joint declaration in support of Ukraine and resume direct communication with Moscow like Washington did.

"I am convinced that the European Union - following the example of the United States - should enter into direct discussions with Russia on a ceasefire and sustainable peace in Ukraine," Orban said.

The Hungarian prime minister is broadly seen as the most Russian-friendly leader in the EU and a close ideological ally of Trump. Orban was one of the few EU leaders to voice support for the U.S. president rather than Zelensky after their heated exchange in the Oval Office on Feb. 28.

"Therefore, I propose not to attempt adopting written conclusions on Ukraine," Orban wrote, hinting at the fact that the decision must be adopted unanimously. Hungary's leader has repeatedly obstructed or blocked military support for Ukraine and sanctions against Moscow, leveraging the country's veto rights.

Similarly, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico voiced doubts about Ukraine's ability to negotiate from a position of strength and said that the EU's summit statement should include a call for an immediate ceasefire.

Issuing the statement after the disastrous White House meeting, Fico also said that Slovakia would not provide financial or military support to Ukraine.

Fico halted military aid for Ukraine from Slovak army stocks after taking office in the fall of 2023 but permitted continued arms sales. Slovakia has also provided energy support amid Russian attacks against Ukraine's power grid.

The Slovak populist leader further demanded that the resumption of Russian gas transit to Slovakia — a key issue in a conflict between him and Kyiv — be included in the summit's statement.

"If the summit does not respect that there are other options besides simply continuing the war, the European Council may not be able to agree on conclusions regarding Ukraine on Thursday," Fico said.

The Slovak leader has previously promoted pro-Russian narratives on Ukraine and the war and met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last December to discuss gas transit issues ahead of Ukraine's planned transit halt.

At the same time, Fico said that Slovakia "respects the need to increase Europe's defense capabilities" and the decisions of other EU members to continue providing military and financial support for Ukraine.

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The Kyiv IndependentChris York