Ukraine war has Orban struggling to maintain Putin balancing act

Energy deals “must be left out of the sanctions issue, because otherwise we will pay the price of the war, and nobody wants that,” Orban recently told Hungarian media [File: Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]

Former communist states in Central and Eastern Europe are at the forefront of efforts to punish Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, but Hungary is dragging its feet.

Budapest has condemned Russia’s attack on its neighbour and refrained from vetoing European Union sanctions. However, in the face of increasing unity among Hungary’s EU and NATO partners, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is resisting actions that could threaten his close relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.