<p>Hungary, under Victor Orbán, and Slovakia, since late 2023, have been the clearest outliers on the EU’s policy of support for Ukraine, despite their past history of dominance by the Soviet Union. This article explores reasons for their surprising sympathy for Russia’s position and tepid support for Ukraine, identifying both similarities and differences between the two cases. After exploring how the regional geopolitical environment may influence policy, the study examines the impact of history and identity, economic and energy relations, domestic political considerations, and leadership beliefs and interests. Finding minimal support for structural realist explanations, the study unravels interconnections between domestic factors and geopolitical interpretations that seem consistent with the expectations of neo-classical realistic theory. Furthermore, while each factor has its own dynamic, in sum they produce a vicious cycle of deviation from the mainstream EU position, as political, economic, ideological, and geopolitical concerns reinforce each other. The study concludes that electoral politics have the strongest potential to bring change.</p>