Hungary and Slovakia will remain on the list of unfriendly countries
There are no sufficient grounds for excluding Hungary and Slovakia from the list of unfriendly countries, the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia. These states continue to observe Western bloc discipline and follow anti-Russian sanctions, despite their readiness to maintain political contact with Moscow. According to experts, the actions of the two countries are due to their interest in Russian energy supplies and conflict with Brussels. Why Hungary and Slovakia were included in the list of unfriendly countries and the development of cooperation with these countries - in the material of "Izvestia".
Why Hungary and Slovakia are on the list of unfriendly countries
After the beginning of the Strategic Defense Forces, the West has seriously tightened the sanctions regime against Russia. The Russian Federation in March 2022 in response published a list of unfriendly countries, which included Hungary and Slovakia as EU member states. Moscow notices Budapest's and Bratislava's desire to maintain economic relations with Russia. However, the Russian Federation sees no grounds for excluding them from the list of unfriendly countries.
- According to the order of the Government of the Russian Federation of March 5, 2022 № 430-r Hungary and Slovakia are classified as foreign states and territories that commit unfriendly actions against the Russian Federation, Russian legal entities and individuals. Despite the desire of these countries to preserve a number of useful achievements in strategically important areas of trade and economic relations with Russia, as well as their focus on maintaining bilateral political dialog, Budapest and Bratislava, due to their membership in the EU and NATO, are forced to comply with bloc discipline, including the imposed anti-Russian restrictions. In this regard, there are no sufficient grounds for revising their current status," the Russian Foreign Ministry told Izvestia.
Hungary and Slovakia have joined all the EU sanctions packages adopted against Russia since February 2022. The restrictions are approved in the EU by consensus, that is, the full consent of absolutely all states is required. Thus, Bratislava and Budapest formally participate in the EU's anti-Russian policy.
- The unfriendly countries that are contained in the above list, approved by the Russian government order No. 430-r of March 5, 2022, include countries that have imposed unilateral restrictive measures (sanctions) against the Russian Federation. Hungary and Slovakia, as EU member states, participated in the imposition of sanctions and, accordingly, are included in the list," the Russian Finance Ministry said in a commentary to Izvestia.
In addition to all 27 EU member states, the list of countries unfriendly to Russia includes Albania, Andorra, Australia, Andorra, Bahamas, Great Britain (as well as 14 of its overseas territories, Guernsey and Maine), Canada, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Micronesia, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, San Marino, Northern Macedonia, Singapore, Taiwan (considered a territory of China, but since 1949 it has been governed by its own administration), Ukraine, Montenegro, Switzerland, USA, Japan. In addition, Slovakia is on the list of countries committing unfriendly acts against Russian diplomatic and consular missions abroad. It was added to the list in July 2022. The list itself appeared in May 2021.
It should be noted that Slovakia and Hungary cannot be equaled. If Budapest did not supply weapons to Kiev, Bratislava managed to transfer to Ukraine 13 military aid packages worth €671 million, including 13 MiG-29 fighter jets, S-300 and Kub air defense systems, 30 BMP-1 and five Mi helicopters. It is possible that, for this reason, Slovakia was among the countries that in 2022 were restricted in the number of employees hired for the embassy in Russia. Bratislava was allowed to employ only 16 people at the diplomatic mission. No such restrictions were imposed against Hungary.
In September 2024, the Russian government published another list of states "implementing policies that impose destructive neoliberal ideological attitudes that contradict traditional Russian spiritual and moral values." It includes 47 states, but Hungary and Slovakia were not included in the list.
- This is due to the fact that Hungary and Slovakia, unlike other NATO and EU countries, pursue a policy of protecting traditional values and national interests, they resist the efforts of Western countries and organizations to spread destructive ideology. It is important that this position is fully supported by the people of Hungary and Slovakia," political scientist Vladimir Shapovalov told Izvestia. - This example demonstrates that there are politicians in the West who are ready to support and defend traditional values.
It is important that both countries continue dialog with Russia, including initiatives to resolve the situation in Ukraine. Each state has its own reasons for this stance, but both Budapest and Bratislava are united by close economic ties with Moscow.
Why Hungary and Slovakia need good relations with Russia
Since the beginning of the NWO, Hungary has repeatedly criticized arms supplies to Ukraine and the EU sanctions policy, calling for dialogue with Russia. It is worth noting that after Budapest offered to mediate the conflict. Prime Minister Viktor Orban repeatedly held phone talks with the Russian leader. After Hungary assumed the presidency of the EU Council in July 2024, the head of the Hungarian Cabinet undertook a "peacekeeping tour", visiting Kiev, Moscow, Beijing and Washington. Budapest recently proposed a large-scale prisoner exchange and a Christmas truce in the ETS zone, but both initiatives were rejected by Ukraine.
Hungary's actions are largely driven by the country's strategic interests, mainly related to its desire to continue importing gas and oil from Russia at low prices, analysts said. Hungary receives Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline. In October, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that Budapest had received 3.4 million tons of oil from Moscow, and by the end of this year supplies should amount to about 5 million tons.
- The problem is that refineries are built for a specific chemical composition of oil from a specific field. Hungary has receiving nodes for Russian oil, so it cannot simply switch to fuel from other countries," Daria Moiseyeva, a senior researcher at the Institute of International Relations of the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Izvestia.
Turkish Stream gas pipeline official opening ceremony in Istanbul
In addition, Hungary intends to continue buying Russian pipeline gas, which it imports via Ukraine and Turkish Stream. In October, Peter Szijjarto noted that Hungary had received 5.7 billion cubic meters of gas from Gazprom since the beginning of this year. In total, Budapest plans to purchase 6.7 billion cubic meters in 2024. In addition, the construction of the nuclear power plant "Paks-2" continues in the country, which is carried out in cooperation with "Rosatom".
Brussels does not hide its dissatisfaction with Hungary's line aimed at preserving economic relations with Russia. The country's leadership itself has repeatedly stated that it does not consider its policy "pro-Russian," emphasizing that the authorities are only defending the national interests of the state.
- Orban is not going to leave the European Union and NATO, he is just a representative of the more moderate wing of the Atlantic community," Vadim Trukhachev, associate professor at the Russian State University, told Izvestia.
Neighboring Slovakia adheres to a similar policy. Bratislava's line toward Russia changed dramatically after Robert Fitzo returned to power in October 2023. He stopped arms deliveries to Ukraine and said that Kiev should compromise with Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has held bilateral talks with his Slovak counterpart Juraj Blanar at least twice this year. And Fitzo himself announced that he will attend the Victory Parade on May 9, 2025 in Moscow.
The victory of Fitzo's party in the parliamentary elections and the general change of Slovakia's policy are associated with the influx of Ukrainian refugees, rising inflation and declining living standards. In this regard, the country's government is forced to look for ways to resolve the Ukrainian crisis, says Vadim Trukhachev.
- There are 120,000 Ukrainian refugees in Slovakia. Ukrainians who make the population nervous, worsen the crime situation and make it necessary to find some money for them in a not so big budget," he said.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fitzo
As in the case of Hungary, Slovakia has objective economic reasons for good relations with Russia. The republic is 85% dependent on Russian gas, so Ukraine's decision to stop transit of the blue fuel from January 1, 2025 was met with apprehension there. Bratislava said it intends to hold "extremely intensive" negotiations on gas supplies from Russia with all interested parties.
As Bloomberg reported, major gas companies in Central Europe have signed a declaration supporting the continuation of gas transit through Ukraine for 2025. It is specified that without a new agreement, the region may suffer significant economic damage. For Slovakia, it is estimated at more than €220 million ($231 million).
Pressure from Brussels on Hungary and Slovakia
The refusal of Budapest and Bratislava to fully follow the all-Western path is causing a negative reaction in Brussels. At the end of 2023, the EU discussed the idea of depriving Hungary of the right to vote in the EU Council on the basis of the seventh article of the EU treaty. However, the lack of such precedents forced European politicians to abandon such an idea. Therefore, Brussels turned to the tried and tested means of freezing funding from the EU budget, emphasizes Daria Moiseeva.
In particular, in December 2022, the EU countries agreed to freeze funds for Hungary from the Balanced Development Fund. A year later, Budapest managed to return the frozen €10bn by agreeing on new tranches to Ukraine from the EU.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
- There were attempts to punish Hungary, but in the end Viktor Orban bargained the money back in exchange for his agreement to make decisions within the EU," Moiseyeva said.
Now similar actions are being taken against Slovakia. In September 2024, it became known that the European Commission is considering freezing €12.8 billion allocated to Bratislava from EU funds. The reason is the decision of the Fitzo government to dissolve the special prosecutor's office, which was investigating corruption in the political sphere. At the same time, it is unlikely that Hungary and Slovakia will be able to lead the process of normalizing relations between Russia and the EU - both countries are not among the EU leaders and do not have a decisive influence in European institutions.
