Transformation of the Visegrad Group Under the Conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian War

Abstract

The article analyses the transformation of the Visegrad Group’s (V4) foreign policy under the conditions of Russia’s war against Ukraine, emphasising how the conflict has exposed the limitations of the V4 as a coherent regional actor. The study demonstrates that the escalation of Russian aggression since 2014, and especially the full-scale invasion of 2022, deepened existing divisions within the group and reshaped the strategic behaviour of its member states. Poland and the Czech Republic adopted pronounced pro-European and pro-Ukrainian positions, supporting sanctions, strengthening cooperation within NATO, and promoting a consolidated European response to the security crisis. By contrast, Hungary and, increasingly, Slovakia relied on narratives of strategic pragmatism, prioritising national economic interests, sustaining energy dependence on Russia, and expressing reservations regarding military assistance to Ukraine. These divergent approaches significantly weakened the collective capacity of the V4 to formulate shared positions on security, energy, and EU policy.

The analysis also highlights how domestic political shifts, public opinion polarisation, and the spread of disinformation influenced foreign policy orientations across the region. While Warsaw and Prague framed the war as a fundamental threat to European stability, Budapest and Bratislava articulated more ambivalent security perceptions shaped by populist discourse. As a result, the Visegrad format experienced an identity crisis, gradually losing its previous role as a coordinated platform of Central European cooperation. At the same time, Ukraine emerged as a central factor redefining the strategic landscape of the region, revealing both the potential and the limitations of subregional solidarity within the V4.