Visegrad Group in June 2026: the most important developments in politics
In the Visegrad countries in June 2026, the dominant development was a dispute between Poland and Ukraine over a Ukrainian army unit linked to the World War II Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), which Poland says is tied to genocide. Prime Minister Donald Tusk demanded that Kyiv address the unit, and Poland demanded an apology and, on June 12, full reimbursement for weapons aid. On June 19 and 20, Polish President Karol Nawrocki revoked President Zelenskyy's highest state honor, and Zelenskyy's chief of staff renounced a Polish medal. Tusk called the feud a "strategic mistake" that benefits Russia. On June 25, Poland and Ukraine held a reconstruction conference in Gdansk without Zelenskyy; Tusk committed to continued aid, called for "mutual respect" and asked Kyiv to share military technology.
Hungary, under Prime Minister Péter Magyar, reset its relations with the EU and Ukraine. Magyar met Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin on June 2, and on June 4 Hungary lifted its block on Ukraine's EU accession bid, with commitments on minority rights. Hungary and Ukraine reached a bilateral agreement on June 11, and the EU and Ukraine formally launched accession talks on June 15. At home, parliament approved a constitutional amendment on June 15 limiting prime ministers to eight years, applied retroactively, which rules out a return by Viktor Orbán; Fidesz was set to re-elect Orbán as its leader. Magyar also moved to remove President Tamás Sulyok by constitutional amendment.
In the Czech Republic, President Petr Pavel and the government of Prime Minister Andrej Babiš clashed over who would lead the delegation to the NATO summit in Ankara. Pavel went to court, and on June 24 a court ordered the government to allow him to attend. In Slovakia, Prime Minister Robert Fico said the EU needs a diplomatic channel to Russia and that he would engage with Vladimir Putin.
Poland signed a new defense agreement with Germany on June 17 and pressed for a permanent US military base, to which the Pentagon signaled openness, according to the Polish defense minister. On June 29 it renewed its demand for World War II reparations from Germany.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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