East Europe Leaders Decry EU ‘Hypocrisy’ in Russia Rift

Czech, Hungarian and Slovak leaders are resisting more economic pain inflicted by possible wider economic sanctions on Russia, pointing to “hypocrisy” in the bloc’s west during the crisis in Ukraine.

Western European countries cutting deals with Russian companies even as they threaten Russia with more sanctions is “hypocritical,” Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said at a conference today in Bratislava, the nation’s capital. His Czech and Hungarian counterparts, Bohuslav Sobotka and Viktor Orban, said they don’t want to lose out on business opportunities. Polish Premier Donald Tusk struck a different tone, saying the EU must show unity and assume its costs.