Hungary designates Russia as security threat in new policy

Hungary has formally designated Russia as a security threat, marking a decisive break from the pro-Kremlin foreign policy of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The new government, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, published the policy document in the official gazette on August 25, 2026, setting guidelines for the Hungarian delegation to the 81st United Nations General Assembly. The move has prompted a warning from a Russian lawmaker that Moscow could halt energy supplies to Budapest.

The document states that Hungary condemns Russian military aggression and fully supports Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity. It explicitly identifies Russia's behavior as a threat to Hungary, Europe, and the global order, and notes the danger it poses to the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Transcarpathia region. The government also calls for negotiations toward sustainable peace and long-term security guarantees for Ukraine.

This policy shift represents a sharp reversal from the tenure of Orbán, who was widely seen as Russian President Vladimir Putin's closest ally within the European Union. Orbán's government repeatedly blocked EU sanctions against Russia and argued that...