Two countries long friendly with Moscow moved towards Brussels, pointing to Russia’s waning sphere of influence.
Hungary and Armenia were largely pliant allies of the Kremlin’s in years past, but Viktor Orbán’s recent electoral defeat and Yerevan stating its intention to pursue EU membership have upended Moscow’s strategy.
The shift comes into stark relief today, with new Hungarian leader Péter Magyar in Brussels to revive EU ties that fell into disrepair during Orbán’s tenure. Armenia will also skip a summit of the Moscow-dominated Eurasian Economic Union. Russia’s hold is even weakening in Central Asia, as Beijing vies for influence there, a “trend [that] has become so persistent that Moscow has virtually no chance of reversing it,” an expert wrote.