Orban’s exit through global eyes: Who really gains – and who doesn’t

Europe, Ukraine, the US and Russia all had stakes in Hungary’s election – but the results defy simple narratives

After 16 years in power, Viktor Orban is stepping down as Hungary’s prime minister. In Europe, the fact that the veteran politician will finally be replaced by a younger, more pragmatic leader is cause for celebration. Peter Magyar, head of the Tisza party that won Sunday’s elections, is set to become Hungary’s new prime minister. His main campaign slogan focused on restoring relations with NATO and the EU.

The liberal press has already labeled Russian President Vladimir Putin the biggest loser in this situation, and Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky and, by extension, Kiev, as the biggest winners. But is that really true? RT explores how Hungary’s diplomatic relations with key players might change under Magyar’s leadership.

Ukraine: Less toxic, but generally similar relations 

The relationship between Orban and Zelensky (and more broadly, between Budapest and Kiev) has recently become overtly hostile. In addition to the now-familiar exchanges of insults, there have been direct threats. For instance, Zelensky warned that he might give Orban’s address to the Ukrainian military so they could speak with the Hungarian prime minister “in their own language.” Retired General Grigory Omelchenko from the Security Service of Ukraine then said, “Our organization doesn’t need Orban’s address” as the Security Service of Ukraine knows where he lives, sleeps, drinks beer, wine, smokes hookah, and with whom he meets. He added, “Orban should think about his five children and six grandchildren.”

While these dramatic outbursts demonstrate the distinct personalities of Orban and Zelensky, in reality, Orban’s Hungary was not entirely at odds with European and NATO policies regarding Ukraine. A significant portion of civilian and even military supplies – including critical resources like electricity and fuel – flowed through Hungary to Ukraine. 

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However, two major contradictions underpin the relationship between Ukraine and Hungary: one revolves around oil transit through Ukraine, while the other concerns the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia.

Until 2024, Hungary, along with several other EU countries, received gas from Russia via the Urengoy–Pomary–Uzhgorod pipeline. This pipeline operated for the first two years of the Ukraine conflict, but shortly after Ukraine’s invasion into Kursk Region, it was shut down. In spring 2025, Russian forces used the pipeline for military operations aimed at liberating Sudzha. Both the pipeline and the compressor station in Sudzha suffered significant damage during battles and are not expected to be operational in the near future. Currently, Russian gas is delivered to Hungary via Türkiye.

Inspired by this, Kiev attempted to cut off another crucial fuel transit route: the Druzhba pipeline, which passes through Ukrainian territory. It had operated intermittently until last August, when supplies were stopped due to Ukrainian missile strikes. Zelensky is determined to put an end to Russian oil and gas transit to Europe. Orban, however, was one of the most steadfast opponents of Zelensky’s policy – and in this, he was silently supported by several Eastern European neighbors which also benefited from cheap energy imports from Russia.

After the provocation involving the Druzhba pipeline, relations between Budapest and Kiev entered a critical phase. This past winter, Hungary threatened to cut off emergency electricity supplies to Ukraine (though it never actually did so). For its part, despite pressure from Brussels, Ukraine sabotaged any attempts to repair the oil pipeline; in retaliation, Hungary detained Ukrainian cash couriers carrying funds of unclear origin. 

Another key issue for Hungary is the rights of the ethnic Hungarians in Transcarpathia. Historically, this region was part of Austria-Hungary and became part of modern-day Ukraine almost by chance. Ukraine has consistently pursued a policy of forced Ukrainization, and while it primarily targets Russians and Russian speakers, it also affects Rusyns and Ukrainian Hungarians. Throughout Ukraine’s years of independence, the Rusyns have been denied minority status, barred from teaching in their native language, and faced obstacles in maintaining ties with neighboring Slovakia.

For Budapest, the rights of ethnic Hungarians have always been a sensitive topic, and Orban has persistently advocated for their rights.

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In one of the first speeches following his victory, Peter Magyar signaled that he would continue the same approach regarding the repair of the Druzhba oil pipeline and the issue of Hungarians in Transcarpathia. This puts Kiev in a difficult position. It was easy to dismiss Orban as an enemy of Brussels; now, however, things will be more complicated, especially since the official stance of the European Union aligns with Hungary on both issues.

As for Ukraine’s European aspirations, Magyar was blunt: Ukraine’s NATO membership is off the table, and Ukraine won’t be able to join the EU for at least another decade. He echoed Europe’s current position, which likely wasn’t music to Kiev’s ears.

The EU: removing a thorn from its side

Viktor Orban assumed office 16 years ago with similar promises: he vowed to build pragmatic and equal relationships with the EU and NATO based on Hungary’s national interests.

However, Orban’s assertiveness and confrontational style repeatedly led to deadlocks. Budapest’s domestic political decisions contradicted the directives of the ‘Brussels bureaucrats,’ and in response, the EU blocked funding for Hungary. Then Orban resorted to bargaining, using his veto power on any issue to trade his support for concessions from Brussels.

This dynamic was particularly evident in his dealings with Russia—not because Orban was a staunch supporter of Russia (certainly not), but because unanimous agreement is required for adopting each package of anti-Russia sanctions, and this gave him leverage to negotiate with Brussels.

After the Druzhba pipeline incident, Orban (along with the leaders of the Czech Republic and Slovakia) refused to agree to the EU’s 90 billion euro solidarity loan for Ukraine and then blocked it altogether.

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Magyar indicated that he would lift Hungary’s veto but would not participate in providing the loan. This was expected, and it seemed the matter was settled. However, during her visit to Kiev in February, Kaja Kallas responded vaguely and without enthusiasm when asked about the loan, even though Orban’s defeat in the elections already appeared evident at the time. 

It would be ironic if Hungary’s veto turned out to be nothing more than a convenient excuse for everyone in the EU to throw up their hands and say, ‘Well, you see, we’d love to help, but there’s nothing we can do.’ Now, there’s even more reason to wait with the loan: due to the war in Iran, Europe is bracing for an economic crisis, and the money is needed at home. Plus, voters might not like the idea of allocating funds to Ukraine at such a time. 

The EU will likely still find funding for Ukraine, but the loan may be smaller and come later than promised.

Meanwhile, the European Union is seizing the moment: the day after Magyar’s victory, Brussels presented a list of 27 conditions that Hungary must meet to unlock €35 billion in European subsidies. Aside from nearly resolved issues – like lifting the veto on the aforementioned €90 billion loan and the next sanctions package – Brussels is effectively demanding a review of laws from the Orban era that contradict EU policies, including asylum rules for foreigners. 

It’ll be interesting to see how the new prime minister responds. Essentially, Brussels is asking him to relinquish some of the sovereignty that Orban fought so hard to secure for Hungary, and which the majority of Hungarian citizens support. Magyar and his party represent the same conservative right-wing faction as Orban, and in the eyes of Hungarian voters, he is seen as a younger, untainted version of Orban. If he caves to Brussels, especially on sensitive migration issues, it could severely damage his standing among voters. 

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US: Exporting Trumpism didn’t go as planned

The Trump administration viewed Orban’s Hungary as an exemplary nation in Europe. With the increasing popularity of right-wing parties in Europe, the US expected that with its support, they would rise to power – or, in Orban’s case, remain in power. These right-wing forces, all these local European Trumps, were supposed to weaken and eventually dismantle the power of the decaying left-liberal international coalition. That was the plan. 

But things didn’t go according to plan. Whether due to the catastrophic unpopularity of the Trump administration in Europe or the clumsy interference in the domestic politics of a party claiming to promote sovereignty, US Vice President J.D. Vance’s support for Orban seems to have backfired: it appears that this very endorsement cost Orban’s party several percentage points in the elections, resulting in an almost total defeat.

This raises questions about the Trump administration’s overall approach to the EU. European right-wing parties are likely to distance themselves from Washington now. The ‘divide and conquer’ strategy didn’t work, and no special relations were forged with Europe. In fact, in this scenario, the US emerges as the main loser.

Russia: Same old story, different angle

As for Russia, Orban’s defeat doesn’t make a huge difference. Orban was neither a client nor an agent of Moscow, despite claims to the contrary. It’s true that Orban attempted to position himself as a mediator in the Ukraine conflict, but ultimately, his mediation was unnecessary.

Indeed, Orban’s squabbles with Brussels and Kiev have, in a roundabout way, played into Moscow’s hands. But Hungary is too deeply embedded in European and NATO structures to truly pursue an independent foreign policy. Ultimately, whenever they wanted to, both the EU and NATO pushed through decisions regarding Russia or Ukraine. 

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Hungary’s real relationship with Russia and Budapest’s stance on Ukraine do not depend on Viktor Orban; they are shaped by three fundamental factors. We have already mentioned two of them (the supply of Russian energy and the Hungarian minority issue), while the third factor is increasingly relevant not just to Budapest, but to all of Eastern Europe.

This third factor is the reluctance to get drawn into the EU’s conflict with Russia. Hungarians don’t want to be called up to the front or become fresh cannon fodder; they don’t want their country to become the next battering ram against Russia. Hungary doesn’t want to share Ukraine’s fate. Immediately following his victory, Peter Magyar declared that Hungary would not send weapons to Ukraine, making it clear that this is not Hungary’s war now, and it won’t become such under his leadership. 

In this, he has the full and unanimous support of Hungarian voters. 

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Former Russian Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin is known for many memorable quotes, and this is a fitting place to remember one of them: “Some think that after the elections, something will happen. But after the elections, nothing will happen. And that’s life.”

Most likely, Hungary will slowly fade from the headlines; Magyar won’t attract as much attention as Orban and won’t obstruct the decisions of NATO and the EU with such fervor. However, Hungary’s overall policy will remain conservative, placing national interests front and center.

This means that in a quiet but resolute way, Hungary will continue to resist the attempts of Eurocrats to pull it into a direct conflict with Russia. For Brussels, that’s bad news: such leaders are becoming more common in Europe, and this approach is gradually gaining traction as the new European mainstream.