V4 cooperation to freeze? Czechs, Poles remain home, Hungary cancels defence meeting
Hungary would have hosted the next defence meeting of the Visegrád Four cooperation consisting of Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland. However, the Poles and the Czechs already cleared they would not come because of the Ukraine policy of the Hungarian government. As it is well-known, Warsaw and Prague are among the hardliners regarding Putin’s war against Russia.
Anti-Russia, pro-Russia?
Poland even offered its MIG-29 warplanes to Ukraine, but the United States baulked that plan fast. However, two days before, Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said Washington supported the idea. Therefore, it is up to Warsaw now whether they will send those planes or not. The Czech Republic is also among the hardliners when it comes to sanctions against Russia. For example, they would like to implement sanctions on Russian energy. Furthermore, both nations support weapon transports toward Ukraine though the Czechs do not share a border with the war-stricken country.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian government said they would not support the extension of sanctions on Russian energy because that would mean rising heating prices and Hungary’s industrial breakdown. In that respect, Budapest follows Berlin’s standpoint. Furthermore, the Orbán government does not allow lethal military equipment to cross the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. They say such shipments would endanger the Hungarian minority that lives on the Ukrainian side.
Defence meeting postponed
We wrote earlier that János Áder was supposed to visit the city of Bochnia in Poland on 23rd March, on the occasion of the day of Polish-Hungarian friendship. However, the Hungarian president did not go because the Polish president did not want to meet with him because of Hungary’s standpoint regarding the Russian invasion.
Blikk.hu wrote today that Hungary is to cancel the defence meeting of the Visegrád Four countries planned for this Wednesday in Budapest. Both the Czech and the Polish governments cleared they would not come since they disagree with the Orbán cabinet’s Ukraine policy.
According to the information from the Slovakian Ministry of Defence, Hungary received harsh criticism from Poland and the Czech Republic. Wojciech Skurkiewicz, the Polish Deputy Minister of Defence, said that observing what goes around the V4 cooperation does not give a reason for optimism.
The Czech Minister of Defence, Jana Černochová, cancelled the defence meeting in Budapest last Friday. Her Polish colleague, Mariusz Błaszczak, did the same Monday evening. “I am very sorry that cheap Russian oil is more important for Hungarian politicians than Ukrainian blood” – Černochová said.
Polish President Andrzej Duda said it was hard to understand PM Orbán’s attitude towards Ukraine. The Polish Foreign Minister added Orbán made a mistake regarding its Russia and Ukraine policy.
Read alsoIs Orbán really Putin’s lapdog? Here is what Hungary does and does not do for Ukraine
Source: blikk.hu, DNH
I always knew the V4 had mud foot. Czechs and Poles are lapdogs of Brussels, UK and USA. They are their proud eternal slaves and servants. If Brussels, US and UK jump into the abyss, they will follow. That’s why I’m so PROUD of Hungary and it’s government. Completely independent of the western degenerate powers.
God bless Hungary.
@Boing – without Poland’s critical mass in the V4 … it’s all pretty toothless, right? We could just suck someone’s hand off, instead, I guess …
everyday another reason for VO to sit on his hands, yesterday the line was “roads are terrible in Transcarpathia”
@boing. yes, independent from West (bit give me EU money), but dependent on Russia and China…
@FV
So east Germany never took EU money, nor Poland? Really ?! So going after lower prices at the market means your going to bed with the vendors really?
So about the Czech defense princess, maybe she should ask herself, why if Poland is importing LNG from the US as an alternate supplier, why it still needs to buy NG from Russia till at the least, the end of this year?! And then she can ask, where the hell, Czechs are getting their NG from? Pretty dumb if your expecting someone else to cut their gas off completely and you cant even do it yourself. As for the V4, if this is as dumb as it gets, maybe its better if we CANCEL V4, and let the Czechs figure it out all by themselves.
Two steps back: The Visegrád Four or V4, is a cultural and political alliance of four countries of Central Europe. Promoting Christianity, Values, Family, all that good stuff.
In the words of Péter Szijjártó on December 12, 2021, the V4 is “the closest, most effective and most successful” alliance within the European Union today.
Now Time to see what our friends and allies are saying:
The Czech Defense Minister, Jana Černochová, stated: “I have always supported the V4 and I am very sorry that cheap Russian oil is now more important to Hungarian politicians than Ukrainian blood.” She also mentioned our elections and that she does not want to “take part in the campaign”.
Poland’s ruling party leader, Jarosław Kaczyński, was also not pleased with Orbán’s cautious stance on Russia. He stated
“If you ask me if I’m happy, then no, but I will wait for the election, we will see after the election.”
Earlier, Polish President Andrzej Duda said it was difficult to understand Orbán’s attitude towards Ukraine and this policy will cost Hungary dearly, while Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz said Orbán was making a mistake in his policy towards Ukraine and Russia.
Also, several leading figures of the Polish government and the Law and Justice party criticized PM Orbán’s “strategic calm” over Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.