Kremlin cronies forced to choose sides after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
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Kremlin cronies forced to choose sides after Russian invasion of Ukraine. Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine is having an important side-effect in Europe: It’s forcing a gaggle of increasingly illiberal and pro-Russian regimes in countries including Hungary, Poland, and the Balkan states to choose between the EU and Russia.
So far, it appears the EU is winning. The Kremlin-friendly Hungarian government of Viktor Orban, for example, has aligning with the broader EU position on Russian sanctions, Balkan Insights reports. The Czech government, despite its pro-Russian President Milos Zeman, also swiftly condemned Russia’s actions.
Poland, which has been in a tussle with the EU over judicial independence, was unequivocal in its condemnation of Putin’s aggression, too. But while Serbia’s President Vucic has attempted to carve a middle path that doesn’t include sanctions, increased European alignment suggests that Putin has prompted unity rather than dissent among Russia’s western neighbors.