Trailing in polls, Orban goes all-in on Ukraine

Trailing in polls, Orban goes all-in on Ukraine by Martin Fornusek March 3, 2026 9:05 PM 7 min read Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Budapest, Hungary, on Jan. 5, 2026. (Attila Kisbenedek / AFP via Getty Images) Europe by Martin Fornusek Facing a real chance of defeat in the April parliamentary elections, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban can’t stop talking about President Volodymyr Zelensky and Ukraine. Just in the past few weeks, the Hungarian strongman called the war-torn country an " enemy " and accused its leadership of blackmail, deception, and election interference. Orban even deployed troops to defend Hungary's energy infrastructure against a claimed Ukrainian threat. Hungary's leader is "desperately losing" his pre-election fight, Pavel Havlicek, a research fellow at the Association for International Affairs in Prague, told the Kyiv Independent. To avert defeat, he is "picking external fights," seeking to mobilize Hungarian voters against Ukraine while also pointing the finger at the domestic political opposition, the expert says. Become a member – go ad‑free Orban's latest spat with Kyiv centers on the suspension of operations on the Druzhba pipeline, a key route that delivers Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia via Ukrainian territory. While Ukraine said that the pipeline requires lengthy repairs due to a Russian attack in late January, Bratislava and Budapest accused Kyiv of deliberately holding up the supplies. Orban responded by blocking the next round of EU sanctions and a 90-billion-euro ($106 billion) loan to Kyiv, while demanding a joint Hungarian-Slovak inspection and intervention by the European Commission. Soon after, Orban made a call to Moscow, the first time in months. Become a member – go ad‑free Hungary's tight race In power since 2010, Hungary's illiberal, Kremlin-friendly leader is facing one of his toughest challenges yet. Peter Magyar's opposition Tisza party is polling around 45-50%, with Orban's Fidesz party oscillating ar...