Fault lines Populist tactics mean EU states cannot present a united front

A fortnight after Vladimir Putin sent his troops to attack Ukraine, the 27 leaders of the European Union gathered at the palace of Versailles and condemned Russia's invasion, promised support to the people of Ukraine - "we will not leave them alone" - and vowed to "take more responsibility for our security".

- Jennifer Rankin

Three years later, EU leaders are under pressure like never before to live up to those promises. After the summit hosted by Keir Starmer yesterday, the EU27 leaders will gather in Brussels on Thursday for crisis talks. But trouble is ahead: Hungary's prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has called on the EU to open direct talks with Putin.

Orbán also wants the EU to junk a summit text intended to challenge Trump's unilateralism. "There can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine," states the EU draft text seen by the Guardian that Orbán objects to. "[Nor] negotiations that affect European security without Europeans' involvement."

EU diplomats say nothing surprises them about the Hungarian government. Only last week, Hungary joined the US, Russia and Belarus in voting against a UN general assembly resolution - drafted by European countries - that called for "a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine".

At a time when far-right parties are basking in attention from the Trump White House, Orbán is not the only would-be spoiler.

Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, echoes Hungary's pro-Moscow view, having threatened to cut off humanitarian aid to Ukraine in a row over Russian gas. The Czech Republic could also fall into that category if Andrej Babiš, a billionaire populist allied with Orbán, is re-elected this autumn, as opinion polls suggest.