Jennifer Rankin writes:

A fortnight after Vladimir Putin sent his troops to attack Ukraine, the 27 leaders of the EU gathered at the palace of Versailles and condemned Russia’s invasion, pledged support to the people of Ukraine – “we will not leave them alone” – and vowed to “take more responsibility for our security”.

Three years later, EU leaders are under pressure as never before to live up to those promises. After a summit hosted by Keir Starmer on Sunday, the EU27 leaders will gather in Brussels on Thursday for crisis talks. But trouble is ahead: Hungary’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has called on the EU to follow Trump’s example and open direct talks with the Russian president.

Orbán also wants the EU to junk a summit text intended to challenge Trump’s unilateralism. “There can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine,” states the EU draft text seen by the Guardian that Orbán objects to. “[Nor] negotiations that affect European security without Europeans’ involvement.”

EU diplomats say nothing surprises them about the Hungarian government. Only last week, Hungary joined the US, Russia and Belarus in voting against a UN general assembly resolution – drafted by European countries – that called for “a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine”.

At a time when far-right parties are basking in attention from the Trump White House, Orbán is not the only would-be spoiler. Slovakia’s populist prime minister, Robert Fico, echoes Hungary’s pro-Moscow view on the Ukraine war, having previously threatened to cut off humanitarian aid to Ukraine in a row over Russian gas. The Czech Republic could also fall into that category if Andrej Babiš, a billionaire populist allied with Orbán, is re-elected prime minister this autumn, as opinion polls suggest.

As geopolitical storm clouds descend, EU member states are increasingly interested in “coalitions of the willing”, rather than seeking unanimity of all 27. [Continue reading…]