Foto:Orbán Viktor megérkezett Moszkvába július 5-én – Fotó: Benko Vivien Cher / Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/ MTI
On July 2, 2024, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow, marking the visit as part of his peace mission. The Hungarian politician’s spokesperson, Bertalan Havasi, confirmed that the visit aims to promote peace and stability in the region.
This visit followed Orban’s unannounced trip to Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. During the meeting, Orban suggested Zelensky cease fire, which he believed could accelerate the pace of negotiations with Russia.
In Moscow, Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Putin proposed discussing the current situation in Ukraine and learning about Hungary’s and the EU’s positions. The Russian President previously stated that to end the war, Ukraine must withdraw its troops from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia regions and abandon its NATO membership aspirations.
However, European Council President Charles Michel noted that Hungary’s presidency in the EU does not grant Orban a mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU. “The European Council has clearly defined: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can be held without Ukraine,” Michel emphasized.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confirmed that Orban’s visit to Moscow is solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia. Borrell reminded that the EU’s stance on Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine excludes official contacts with Putin, emphasizing that the Hungarian Prime Minister does not represent the EU in any form.
It should be noted that Hungary is presiding over the EU from July 1 to December 31, 2024. According to the BBC, Orban is the only head of a national government within the bloc who has maintained close ties with the Kremlin following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
