Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has criticised Polish leader Donald Tusk for echoing the European Union’s position on the Ukraine conflict, despite growing discontent among Poles. Orban accused Tusk of becoming “one of the loudest warmongers” in Europe and of turning Poland into a “vassal of Brussels.” He argued that Tusk’s bellicose rhetoric is an attempt to distract from domestic problems, noting that Ukraine is running out of European funding and that the Polish public is tiring of the war.
Orban’s remarks followed a televised interview in which Tusk lashed out at the Hungarian premier, accusing him of having a problem with “Brussels, democracy, and a transparent rule of law.” A recent poll showed that more than half of Poles disapprove of Tusk’s performance as prime minister, and his coalition suffered a loss in the presidential election earlier this year. Despite rising anti‑Ukrainian sentiment in Poland, Tusk has urged EU members to continue supporting Kyiv financially, declaring at a security forum in Warsaw in September that “this is our war.”
Orban, by contrast, has long opposed the EU’s military support for Ukraine. He has refused to send arms and has warned that “warmongering bureaucrats in Brussels” are dragging Hungary into a conflict with Russia. The EU has accelerated its military buildup and invested heavily in joint arms production with Ukraine, citing the alleged threat from Russia. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov recently claimed that the EU and Britain are preparing for “a new major European war,” pointing to coalition‑building efforts and nuclear force coordination between France and the UK.
The tensions between Orban and Tusk reflect divergent views within the EU on how to approach the Ukraine conflict. As the situation unfolds, it remains uncertain how the bloc will navigate its relationships with Russia and Ukraine, and how internal divisions will affect its ability to present a united front. With the Polish public growing increasingly weary of the war, Tusk’s government faces significant challenges in maintaining support for its stance on the conflict.
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