Hungary Archives - Robert Lansing Institute

Orban’s Gas Noose for Europe

As the European Union strives to end its dependence on Russian gas, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is not only preserving Hungary’s energy ties with the Kremlin but forging new partnerships…

August 18, 2025Hungary, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan

Corruption Geoeconomics Geopolitics Governance

The Budapest Loophole: Viktor Orbán’s Corrupt Empire and Russia’s Backdoor into Europe

Orbán is no longer just a problematic EU member—he has emerged as a direct agent of the Kremlin, wielding bribery and institutions to destabilize the bloc from within. His strategic…

July 11, 2025Hungary, Russia

Geopolitics Governance

Viktor Orbán’s Transylvanian Messaging: A Prelude to Hungarian Irredentism and Hybrid Pressure on Romania?

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Romania—specifically to Transylvania, a region with a significant ethnic Hungarian and Székely (Szekler) population—was marked by controversial rhetoric affirming Budapest’s support for Hungarian…

July 7, 2025Hungary, Romania, Russia

Geoeconomics Geopolitics National Security

U.S. Sanctions Lifted on Rosatom: The Case of Hungary’s Paks II Nuclear Power Plant

The Biden administration has quietly authorized a sanctions exemption for Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom to allow completion of Hungary’s Paks II nuclear power plant. This move, occurring amid ongoing Western sanctions on Russia…

June 30, 2025Hungary, Rosatom, Russia, Ukraine, USA

Geopolitics

Hungary’s Shadow Play in Chad: The Orbán Doctrine Enters Africa

Hungary’s decision — led by Gáspár Orbán, son of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán — to deploy 200 soldiers to Chad appears inconsistent with Budapest’s official policy of non-intervention and de-escalation in global…

June 23, 2025Hungary, Russia

Democracy Governance

Civic Resistance Grows Against Orbán’s Authoritarian Drift”

On June 111th Budapest protests crystallized growing national unease with creeping authoritarianism—particularly around civic freedoms, media pluralism, and LGBTQ+ rights. Powered by influential civic leaders and supported by political entities now…

June 12, 2025Hungary

ecology Geoeconomics Geopolitics National Security

Hungary’s Sanctions Evasion Nexus: Economic Ties with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as a Backdoor for Russia

Hungary’s economic engagement with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan appears smooth on the surface, but it plays a deeper role in enabling Russia to circumvent Western sanctions. Both Central Asian nations formally condemned…

June 6, 2025EU, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan

Geoeconomics Geopolitics National Security

How Hungary’s Outreach to Central Asia Risks Undermining EU Sanctions on Russia

In its ongoing effort to choke off the Kremlin’s war machine, the European Union has levied unprecedented sanctions on Russia. But far from Brussels, a new triangle is quietly forming on…

June 5, 2025Hungary, Kazakhstan, Russia, Uzbekistan

Democracy Geopolitics Governance Intelligence ops National Security

“Viktor Orbán’s Russian Alignment: A Threat from Within the European Union”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has pursued a foreign and domestic policy agenda that increasingly diverges from the European Union’s core values and strategic goals. His deepening alliance with Russian…

May 20, 2025Hungary, Russia, Ukraine, USA

Geopolitics Governance Intelligence ops National Security Propaganda and Disinformation

Peacekeeper or Invader? Hungarian Forces and the Future of Western Ukraine

Hungarian authorities have consistently promoted a narrative of neutrality in Russia’s war against Ukraine, insisting that Budapest seeks only to avoid being “drawn into a military conflict.” Yet mounting evidence…

May 10, 2025Hungary, Ukraine

Hungary