Hungarians name Ukraine as top threat, shift stance on NATO and Russia

The governments of Serbia and Hungary are considered the most pro-Russian in Europe. The warm relations between the Hungarian government, led by Viktor Orban, and Vladimir Putin, along with the propaganda amplifying this relationship, seemingly influence the Hungarians, as evidenced by a new study by Policy Solutions.

In 2023, a year after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia was perceived by most Hungarians as the greatest threat to Hungary, according to a study by the Hungarian think tank Policy Solutions. This year's surveys show that Putin's regime has fallen to second place, with Ukrainians taking the first spot.

Over half of the surveyed Hungarians (51%) identified Ukraine as the greatest threat from Budapest's perspective. The next places were taken by Russia (46%), China and the USA (both 34%).

Opinions about Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin are converging – the former was negatively assessed by 61% of respondents, and the latter by 63%.

Hungarians have initially taken over the six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union. Meanwhile, over a quarter (27%) of respondents believe that it is in their country's interest to strengthen ties with Russia and distance itself from the EU. It should be noted that 43% reject closer cooperation with Putin's regime.

Respondents stated that cooperation with Austria (84%), Germany (80%), and Croatia (79%) is crucial for Hungary. 76% of the society also considered cooperation with Poland as important. Russia was indicated by 48%, and Ukraine by 39% of the respondents.

"A year earlier, Russia occupied the last place in this ranking. In the case of Ukraine, we noted a sharp decline in the percentage of people perceiving it as an important partner," the "World through Hungarian Eyes" report by the think tank Policy Solutions emphasised.

The studies show a division within Hungarian society. Half of the respondents stated that, in terms of values, their country should remain allied with the West.

How is the North Atlantic Treaty Organization viewed? Hungarians, according to the study, support membership in NATO, and they do not believe that NATO or the European Union will dissolve within the next 20 years.

Moreover, 76% of respondents believe that in the event of a Russian attack on a Baltic country, Hungary should send troops to support its allies.

The report was based on a study conducted by the Zavecz Research center from 1-9 March 2024 on a representative group of one thousand people through direct interviews.