Orbán Voices Solidarity with Poland Amid Drone Incident, But Tensions Remain

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán condemned the violation of Polish airspace allegedly by Russian drones, calling the incident “unacceptable” and expressing full solidarity with Warsaw. “Hungary stands in full solidarity with Poland with regard to the drone incident that took place last night,” Orbán wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday morning, adding that the event underscored the risks of “living in the shadow of war.”

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency cabinet meeting in response, later announcing that it was the first time a Russian drone had been shot down over NATO territory. Tusk described the incursion as a “major provocation” and confirmed that NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had been informed of the incident and of Warsaw’s response.

Orbán used the moment to highlight his government’s stance on seeking peace. “It is time to put an end to this! That is why we support President Trump’s efforts towards peace,” he said. Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, speaking from Belarus, echoed the message, urging “clear heads and common sense” to avoid further escalation.

Yet Orbán’s statement raised eyebrows in both Warsaw and Brussels. Relations between Poland and Hungary are at their lowest point in decades, strained by Budapest’s opposition to EU aid for Ukraine, its blocking of Kyiv’s EU accession talks, and Hungary’s decision to grant asylum to former Polish deputy justice minister Marcin Romanowski, wanted in Poland for fraud. Warsaw withdrew its ambassador from Budapest in protest earlier this year.

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski dismissed Orbán’s solidarity as insufficient. “No, Victor,” he replied pointedly on social media, demanding that Orbán go further by condemning Russian aggression, unblocking EU defence funds, approving tougher sanctions, and lifting his veto on Ukraine’s EU bid.

Despite the acrimony, both governments are signalling an interest in patching things up. A meeting between Polish President Karol Nawrocki and Orbán has been planned, with presidential spokesman Rafał Leśkiewicz stressing that “Polish-Hungarian relations are extremely important to us.” While no date has been confirmed, he said the leaders would meet “soon” to discuss rebuilding cooperation.

The shift reflects how far ties have fallen since the days of close partnership under Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) government, which shared Orbán’s nationalist outlook. Since Donald Tusk’s liberal government took power, relations have soured, particularly over Hungary’s continued engagement with Moscow and reluctance to back EU sanctions.

Leśkiewicz did not hold back when asked about Szijjártó’s recent appearance at a Beijing parade alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin, Belarus’s Alexander Lukashenko and North Korea’s Kim Jong Un. “This is certainly not good company,” he said, adding that President Nawrocki “would certainly not align himself with the leader of the Russian Federation, the criminal Vladimir Putin.”

From the Hungarian side, officials are already floating prospects of reviving regional cooperation. EU Affairs Minister János Bóka recently visited Poland and met with presidential adviser Jacek Saryusz-Wolski. A day later, Orbán declared on Facebook: “We are starting to rebuild Polish-Hungarian cooperation. Fico is holding his ground, Babiš is on the verge of returning, and the V4 could restart in January.”