The leaders of four Central European countries met in Prague for the annual meeting of the Visegrad Group. The objective: to find common ground on Ukraine.
The Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary and Slovakia have recently diverged on the military support to be provided to kyiv.
Petr Pavel, Czech President: “Russian aggression affects us all. Support for Ukraine is therefore essential for our security, but it is also a naturally human action. Russia must be held responsible for the losses in human lives and damage, that is why we must resolutely support Ukraine and its citizens by all means. It is in our interest.”
The Czech Republic and Poland have supported Ukraine since February 2022. But Warsaw’s relations with kyiv have soured in recent months due to the entry of Ukrainian grain onto the Polish market.
On the Hungarian side, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has always refused to supply weapons to Ukraine and even threatened to veto EU financial aid programs for kyiv.
Finally, Slovakia, led by new Prime Minister Robert Fico, ended its military aid program. An emblematic promise from the last legislative campaign signals an erosion of support for Ukraine in the country