Amid Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine, support from Western nations remains a vital pillar of Ukraine’s resilience. While attention often centres on the major powers within the European Union and NATO, the stance of neighbouring countries—particularly Slovakia and Hungary—carries particular weight for Kyiv.
The rhetoric from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Ukraine is familiar—and consistently pro-Russian. Just days ago, Orbán declared that Russia is winning the war and that Ukraine, along with Europe, has effectively already lost. He also repeated his claim that calling Ukraine ready for EU membership is either “a big mistake or sheer stupidity.”
Still, public opinion in Hungary is more divided and nuanced than the results of Orbán’s Voks2025 referendum on Ukraine’s EU accession might suggest. That vote reportedly showed 95% opposition to Ukraine’s membership. Yet according to the Publicus Institute, a majority of Hungarians would, under certain conditions, support Ukraine’s entry into the European Union.
According to the results, 38% of respondents directly support Ukraine’s EU membership, 57% are opposed, and 5% remain undecided. Yet among those who answered “no,” 24% said they would back accession if the war with Russia were to end. “This means that overall, a majority of Hungarian society is open to Ukraine’s membership—especially if the issue of the war is resolved,” the Hungarian outlet Kontroll reports.
Support, unsurprisingly, breaks down along party lines. Some 97% of Fidesz voters oppose Ukraine joining the EU, while 62% of opposition supporters are in favour—including 67% of those backing the Tisza party and 77% of Democratic Coalition voters.
A central theme in the government’s messaging is the claim that Ukraine’s accession would ‘damage Hungary’s interests’. According to official materials, EU funds would be reallocated, Hungarian farmers would lose subsidies, and the country would face an influx of cheap labour and rising crime. That narrative appears to have struck a chord: Publicus data show that 46% of Hungarians believe Ukraine’s EU entry would harm Hungary. Still, no majority of the public sees Ukraine’s membership as definitively bad for the country.
A public opinion survey conducted by Ipsos for the independent Central European Digital Media Observatory (CEDMO) shows a stark divide in Slovak sentiment on the war in Ukraine: more than 18% of respondents said they support a Russian victory, while only a third want Ukraine to win.
Support for Ukraine is lowest among voters of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s ruling Smer party. Just 3% said they hope for a Ukrainian victory, compared to 43% who favour Russia. Similar figures appear among supporters of the non-parliamentary Republic movement—6% for Ukraine, 44% for Russia. The same trend holds among backers of the coalition’s Slovak National Party, where 31% support Russia and only 4% support Ukraine. Voters for the coalition party Hlas (Voice) are more evenly split: 27% back a Ukrainian victory, while 14% favour Russia.
Ukraine finds its strongest base of support among opposition voters. Some 75% of supporters of Progressive Slovakia and 63% of those backing the non-parliamentary Democrats party—led by former Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď—favour a Ukrainian win. Among Christian Democratic Movement voters, 53% support Ukraine and 4% support Russia. Voters for Freedom and Solidarity are evenly aligned: 50% back Ukraine, 4% Russia. Ukraine also receives the support of 47% of voters from the Slovak Movement.
The survey also revealed a clear generational split. Only 7% of 16- to 24-year-olds said they back a Russian win. That number rises to 18% for people aged 35 to 44, goes up to 20% among those 55 to 64, and hits 26% for Slovaks over 65.
Yet, despite the complex and often fraught internal political landscapes of Slovakia and Hungary, both countries remain strategically vital neighbours for Ukraine. This makes engaging their publics through a variety of channels—civic initiatives, academic exchanges, and other grassroots efforts—not just important but essential for building a lasting support for Ukraine. Such outreach plays a critical role in strengthening ties and pushing back against the influence of pro-Russian narratives that seek to undermine this support.
