Putin’s best friend in Brussels: Hungary’s new Anti-Ukraine stunt

By now, few observers doubt that Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán functions as Russia’s ally inside the European Union. The most recent evidence: in May 2025, Budapest filed a lawsuit against the EU, seeking to block Ukraine from receiving profits generated from frozen Russian assets.

In 2024, the EU decided that profits from immobilized Russian central bank reserves – estimated at €3–5 billion annually – would be sent almost entirely (99.7%) to Ukraine. Hungary now challenges this at the EU Court of Justice, demanding annulment or at least partial invalidation.

The absurd part is that these funds are not EU budget money and have nothing to do with Hungary’s national finances. They are profits from Russia’s own frozen assets. In other words, Orbán is not defending Hungarian taxpayers – he is defending the Kremlin’s interests.

A pattern of obstruction

This lawsuit fits a longer pattern. Hungary has repeatedly vetoed or delayed EU military support for Ukraine. One striking example: Poland has still not received EU compensation for weapons donated to Kyiv, because Hungary blocked the transfer.

Why now? Officially, Orbán argues that Hungary’s voting rights were violated because it was considered a “non-contributing member” in the decision. But the timing speaks louder than the paperwork.

By spring 2025, two things were clear to him:

1. Donald Trump would not return as the strongly anti-Ukraine president Hungary and Moscow had hoped for.

2. Russia was preparing new destabilization campaigns in Ukraine, partly by exploiting the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia – and Orbán was expected to cooperate.

Thus, the lawsuit serves less as a legal defense and more as part of Moscow’s wider “active measures.” Even if the case changes nothing, it creates confusion, delays, and, most importantly, propaganda material for Russia: a NATO and EU member openly siding with the Kremlin.

Why Orbán can get away with it

To outsiders, the question often arises: why does the EU tolerate this? The answer lies in both European and Hungarian politics.

Inside the EU: Rules are based on consensus and trust. Every member has a veto, designed for cooperation among democracies. Orbán exploits this to paralyze decisions, turning Hungary into a de facto Trojan horse.

Inside Hungary: Orbán has spent 15 years dismantling checks and balances, capturing courts, media, and state institutions. Opposition voices face smear campaigns or even criminal proceedings. In such a controlled environment, his pro-Russian line faces little domestic resistance.

Financial paradox: Hungary remains one of the largest net recipients of EU funds. While Orbán blocks European aid to Ukraine, his government continues to rely heavily on European money to sustain its own economy.

Why it matters

Orbán’s policy is not just a Hungarian domestic issue. It undermines European unity, slows Ukraine’s defense effort, and feeds Moscow’s propaganda about a “divided West.”

And it is worth stressing again: Hungary’s national budget is not affected in the slightest by these frozen Russian assets. Orbán is not standing up for his citizens – he is standing up for Putin.

The real question for Europe is this: how long can the EU afford to let one of its members act as Moscow’s most useful ally inside its own walls?

Read more about Hungary issue:

Hungary has joined Russia’s hybrid war against Europe

Orbán’s Government Serving the Kremlin: Hungarian Propaganda Against Ukraine