Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán condemned the violation of Polish airspace by Russian drones, declaring full solidarity with Warsaw while reiterating that Budapest intends to remain distant from the war in Ukraine.

Speaking on Friday in an interview with Kossuth Rádió, Orbán said Hungary “does not ignore the fact that this happened in Poland.” He described Poles as “our friends, regardless of the current political situation—our historical allies, close to us spiritually,” and insisted that “we stand with the Poles; we are one hundred percent in solidarity with them.”

Orbán added that from the outset Budapest deemed the incursion of Russian drones into Polish territory “unacceptable.”

At the same time, the prime minister stressed that Hungary aims to avoid direct involvement in the conflict. “The threat of war is inevitable,” he warned, noting that what occurred over Poland “could have happened today or yesterday in Hungary as well.” Still, he drew a sharp distinction between the two countries’ approaches: “Hungarians are not taking part in the war [in Ukraine]; we keep our distance,” he said, whereas, in his view, “the Poles are in it up to their ears.”

EU Tensions Over Russia Policy

Orbán’s remarks come against the backdrop of long-running tensions between his government and several European Union partners over Hungary’s posture toward Moscow. Budapest has repeatedly blocked or delayed EU sanctions against Russia, opposed military assistance for Ukraine, and resisted efforts to phase out Russian energy from the European market.

While aligning rhetorically with Poland in condemning the drone overflights, Orbán’s message underscores Hungary’s enduring strategy: express solidarity with EU and NATO allies when their security is challenged, while maintaining a self-described policy of strategic distance from the war next door.