In a recent address to European leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged and thanked several nations for standing in solidarity with Ukraine, except Hungary, whose prime minister received an emotional appeal from the comedian-turned-politician. 

“Listen, Viktor, you know what’s going on in Mariupol. Mass killings can happen again in today’s world. And that’s what Russia is doing today . . . Once and for all you have to decide who you are with,” Zelensky said, addressing Hungary’s stance of rejecting military aid to the Ukrainian capital city of Kyiv.

Viktor Orban, who often stands against the West for his “illiberal” values, seems to have found himself in a tight spot as the country goes to polls on Sunday. 

Back in Hungary, his close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin have become a deal-breaker for many voters. 

Although he remains likely to bag a fourth successive election victory, the veteran politician has experienced isolation that only seems to be growing. 

“Everything changed . . . It’s like when the Berlin Wall fell, or 9/11,” a European diplomat said of Orban. 

“This is an era-defining moment, the decisions he makes now will stick with him for a long time,” the diplomat added.

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Despite the criticism, Orban has stuck to his stance on the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.

“Our moral responsibility is not for Ukraine. I don’t have to face the Lord for Ukrainians, but for Hungarians. I must consider the Hungarian interest,” he said in an interview three days after Zelensky’s plea. 

Reacting to Orban’s strategy of not quitting Putin but continuing to relish the benefits of EU membership, Andras Pulai, director of Budapest think tank Publicus said, “This will have a significant impact on the vote.”

“That strategy is dead. Much as Orban may try, he can no longer swing both ways,” Pulai added.