Orban's meeting with Putin in Moscow can cause EU anger - The Guardian

Hungarian Prime Minister "tries to become a mediator between Russia and Ukraine" after the country has taken over the presidency of the EU, journalists write. Victor Orban's visit to Moscow immediately after his trip to Kiev and meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, will most likely cause anger in Brussels. Two sources in Budapest spoke about Orban's trip, stating that it was planned as part of a visit to Ukraine after Hungary has taken over the EU presidency this week.

The Guardian writes about it. A high -ranking source in the EU has confirmed that they were informed about the scheduled visit. Interestingly, Victor Orban should visit the Turkic summit in Azerbaijan right after Moscow. The Chairman of the European Council Charles Michelle, apparently, referring to the planned, but then unconfirmed visit of Hungary Prime Minister to Moscow, wrote on Thursday evening on X: "The EU's Rotation President has no mandate to interact with Russia on behalf of the EU.

The European Council. Clearly states: Russia is an aggressor, Ukraine is a victim. Orban, which many consider the most pro -Russian leader of the EU, tried to introduce himself as a politician who advocates for peace, but often repeated Russian theses about the war. He has also repeatedly suspended the EU support for Ukraine, which has caused the disappointment of many other European leaders. "Orban's team planned a trip to Moscow before a meeting with Zelensky.

He tries to make a mediator between Russia and Ukraine. And after his conversation with the Ukrainian president, this meeting makes sense," said a source close to the Hungarian government. A trip to Moscow is likely to cause even more concern in Brussels and other Member States, where many are so terrified, that the leader, who, in their opinion, has done everything in recent years to undermine European unity and the rule of law, is now the main the block representative for the next six months.

The Hungarian leader maintains ties with right groups around the world and has long suggest that Hungary could play a role in establishing peace in Ukraine, but his words are mostly ignored. However, with the elections in France this week and the possible return of Donald Trump to the post of US President, Orban may feel that geopolitical winds are blowing differently. "We had ambitions on the role of the mediator from the beginning," said the source in Budapest.

Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, Western leaders have mostly avoided Putin, except for Orban, who went to Shanghai in October to meet the Russian President in October. Also, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Siarto, awarded the Russian government, was often in Russia. In Hungary, political expert Andrash Neetet in his HVG column notes that the EU did not authorize Hungary Prime Minister to discuss something with Putin on behalf of the organization.

And Orban knows that the official Kremlin does not want to negotiate peace, but only about full surrender. Nonmet notes that without exception, EU policies have criticized Orban and stressed that he had no authority to negotiate on behalf of Brussels. And Finnish Prime Minister Petter Orpo called Moscow alarming and emphasized that Orban ignores the duties assigned to him as an EU President, and undermines the interests of the Union.