Coeziunea Grupului de la Vișegrad: Rusia și limitele cooperării
Cohesion of the Visegrad Group: Russia and the limits of cooperation

Summary/Abstract: For three decades, the Visegrad Group represented the ideal model of regional cooperation in Central and Eastern Europe. Nowadays, the organization’s scope is limited, and the leaders of its member states are questioning its purpose. This article examines how the cohesion of the V4 is affected by the four member states’ different attitudes towards Russia. These divergences are showcased in the case study examining the four countries’ reactions to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. In the beginning, they are only rhetorical, as Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia do not hinder the European Union’s policy of sanctions after the illegal annexation of Crimea. After 2022, however, Viktor Orban doubled down on his speeches, blocking or threatening to block several EU measures aimed at Moscow. This has in turn alienated Hungary’s three partners, especially Poland. As this paper argues, the four states’ policy on Russia can be traced to elements such as their perceived level of threat, their internal perceptions of Russia, or their vulnerabilities in the energy sector. The main consequence is the lack of cohesion between the members, turning V4 into a dysfunctional organization.

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