"EU's Nonchalant Response as Orbán and Fico Mock the West with Putin Handshake"

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been openly challenging the West by shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin, criticizing the EU, and delaying aid for Ukraine. Now, Orbán plans to team up with Slovakia's newly elected pro-Putin leader, Robert Fico, to further defy the EU during a gathering of EU leaders in Brussels. Despite concerns about Orbán's loyalty to Russia and his anti-EU theatrics, the EU has responded with a collective shrug, offering to unfreeze €13 billion for Hungary in exchange for implementing reforms to comply with EU rule-of-law standards. While some diplomats express alarm over Orbán's behavior, others argue that he ultimately falls in line on major decisions and that his influence is waning since Poland's right-wing Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was defeated in a recent election.