Sybiha Predicts Orbán Will Use Veto Tactics as UN Chief

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha outlined a specific strategy for managing a potential Viktor Orbán tenure at the United Nations. The plan relies on replicating a maneuver used during European Union summits to prevent the former Hungarian prime minister from blocking key decisions regarding Kyiv’s integration with the bloc.

Sybiha addressed reports that the US administration is promoting Orbán for the post of UN secretary-general. The minister expressed confidence that Orbán would utilize the veto and blackmail skills he developed over years of derailing major EU decisions. This assessment suggests that Ukraine views the Hungarian leader’s diplomatic style as a predictable variable rather than a new challenge for the international order.

The core of Sybiha’s proposed tactic involves removing Orbán from the decision-making room at critical moments. The minister referenced an incident in late 2023 at an EU summit, where Orbán left the meeting. His absence allowed EU leaders to approve the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine without Budapest exercising a veto. Sybiha joked about sharing this "great experience" with the rest of the world by inviting the former prime minister "for coffee" at the right moment.

The diplomatic friction stems from reports that the US administration is backing Orbán’s candidacy, counting on support from China and Russia. The Wall Street Journal reported that this promotion strategy is currently under consideration. In May, investigative journalists noted that figures in the MAGA wing of the US Republican Party were exploring a scenario where a UN appointment would shield Orbán from prosecution in Hungary.

Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi added that Orbán is preparing to flee to the US should he face legal action in his home country. These reports place the current diplomatic banter within a context of domestic legal pressure on the former prime minister. Sybiha’s comments imply that Ukraine has already developed a practical response to Orbán’s specific style of political interference.