'Hungary is isolated,' António Costa says after Orbán blocks joint EU text on Ukraine
"We respect Hungary's position, but it's one of out 27. And 26 are more than one," António Costa said after an EU summit focused on Ukraine's future.
"Hungary is isolated," António Costa declared on Thursday at the end of a special EU summit that saw Viktor Orbán block the approval of joint conclusions in support of Ukraine, forcing leaders to go ahead with an attached "extract" endorsed by 26.
The final text speaks about "peace through strength," military assistance and security guarantees for Kyiv, all of which Orbán has opposed.
Prior to the summit, the Hungarian prime minister publicly signalled his intention to veto the proposed language, arguing it ran contrary to US President Donald Trump's deal-making initiative, to which Orbán has firmly aligned himself
Slovakia's Robert Fico had expressed reservations but was won over after heads of state and government added a brief reference to the gas dispute between Bratislava and Kyiv.
With Orbán unwilling to relent, leaders in the room opted at such a crucial moment for Ukraine to proceed with a more ambitious text, albeit signed by only 26, rather than a heavily diluted version that Budapest might tolerate.
"Hungary has a different strategic approach on Ukraine," António Costa, the president of the European Council, said at the end of the high-stakes meeting in Brussels.
"That means that Hungary is isolated among the 27. We respect Hungary's position, but it's one out of 27. And 26 are more than one."
Despite the lack of unanimity, Costa said he was "very happy" with the outcome and promised the EU would continue to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Ukraine. Regarding Orbán's threat to block the renewal of sanctions on Russia, Costa seemed unconcerned, saying the country had endorsed all the 16 rounds of restrictions currently in place.
Echoing his message, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that ramping up assistance for Ukraine's armed forces had "never been more urgent". Earlier this week, the US temporarily suspended military aid and intelligence-sharing with Ukraine in a bid to pressure President Volodymyr Zelenskyy into fast-tracked negotiations with Russia.
Both decisions risk having disastrous consequences for the country on the battlefield.
Zelenskyy, who attended the summit in person and expressed gratitude for the bloc's continued backing, has announced his team would meet with American officials next week in Saudi Arabia, the same country that previously hosted US-Russia talks.
"We're very thankful that we're not alone," Zelenskyy said on Thursday morning.
Leaving the meeting, Orbán struck back against criticism.
"The isolation is relevant to the European union. The European Union has isolated itself from the US, isolated itself from China because of the trade war, and isolated itself from Russia because of the sanction policy," the Hungarian premier told reporters.
"So if someone is isolated here, it's the European Union. Hungary has good relations to all three directions, so we are not isolated at all."
Orbán said boosting military and financial assistance for Ukraine was "simply too much" for the bloc because, he warned, the US would not "be part of that in the future."
Asked about his personal relationship with Zelenskyy, which has been characterised by tensions and public rows, Orbán said: "He is the president of Ukraine, and I respect all the leaders of sovereign countries, so I respect him."
Pressed if Zelenskyy was the "right person" to conduct negotiations, Orbán simply answered: "You know, he's the leader of Ukraine."
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