The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, arrived in Moscow this Friday to meet with the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, his spokesman announced, who was quoted by the official Russian agency TASS.
Hungarian media had anticipated that Orbán, the European leader closest to Putin, after passing through kyiv, would arrive in Moscow this Friday.
The Kremlin remains silent
Russia had so far not commented on Orbán’s visit by mid-morning. Considered the head of government closest to Moscow, he met on Tuesday in kyiv with the Ukrainian president, Volodímir Zelenskiwhom he asked to consider the possibility of negotiate a ceasefire with Russia that allows “accelerating” the peace talks.
Shortly before the Hungarian Prime Minister arrived in Moscow, the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Joseph BorrellI affirm that Orbán “does not represent the EU in any way””.
Although Hungary is now the EU Member State that holds the semiannual presidency of the Council until December 31, “this does not imply any external representation of the Union,” the head of European diplomacy stressed in a statement.
After speaking with Putin, Orbán plans to travel to Azerbaijan to attend an informal summit of the Organization of Turkic States.
The trip that bothers the EU
The visit to Putin this Friday especially infuriating the community club. The intention comes just a few days after he went to kyiv for the first time, but to ask Volodymyr Zelensky for a ceasefire that for Ukraine means surrenderhas generated unrest in Brussels and the capitals.
“The rotating EU presidency has no mandate to engage in dialogue with Russia on behalf of the EU. The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. Debates about Ukraine cannot be held without Ukraine,” said the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
“Orban is visiting Moscow: Appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the way to a complete, just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” the president of the European Commission also tweeted this Friday, Ursula von der Leyen.
A personal trip that only affects Hungary and Russia
The three previous statements They emphasize that Orbán’s visit is on a personal basis. On behalf of Hungary, which is already the only country that stays in tune with Moscow. This Friday is not Orbán’s first meeting with Putin since the invasion of Ukraine. The previous one already generated discomfort and suspicion among the rest of the partners, but the current one has felt even worse due to its intention to represent the entire EU, which has made clear its support for Ukraine, despite the continuous obstacles it has posed. Budapest in the last two and a half years.
The high representative, Joseph Borrellhas also made it clear that foreign policy of the EU (and the war in Ukraine is) it’s up to him (as a consensual voice of the 27) or chairman European. He expressed it in a colloquium with the next president of the European Council, the Portuguese Antonio Costain which he reminded him that security policy and foreign policy correspond to him in his new position.
