"Hungary is isolated," António Costa declared on Thursday at the end of a special EU summit that saw Viktor Orbán block the approval of joint conclusions in support of Ukraine, forcing leaders to go ahead with an attached "extract" endorsed by 26.
The final text speaks about "peace through strength," military assistance and security guarantees for Kyiv, all of which Orbán has opposed.
Prior to the summit, the Hungarian prime minister publicly signalled his intention to veto the proposed language, arguing it ran contrary to US President Donald Trump's deal-making initiative, to which Orbán has firmly aligned himself
Slovakia's Robert Fico had expressed reservations but was won over after heads of state and government added a brief reference to the gas dispute between Bratislava and Kyiv.
With Orbán unwilling to relent, leaders in the room opted at such a crucial moment for Ukraine to proceed with a more ambitious text, albeit signed by only 26, rather than a heavily diluted version that Budapest might tolerate.
"Hungary has a different strategic approach on Ukraine," António Costa, the president of the European Council, said at the end of the high-stakes meeting in Brussels.
"That means that Hungary is isolated among the 27. We respect Hungary's position, but it's one of out 27. And 26 are more than one."
Despite the lack of unanimity, Costa said he was "very happy" with the outcome and promised the EU would continue to stand "shoulder to shoulder" with Ukraine. Regarding Orbán's threat to block the renewal of sanctions on Russia, Costa seemed unconcerned, saying the country had endorsed all the 16 rounds of restrictions currently in place.
Echoing his message, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen stressed that ramping up
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