Ukraine Allies Slam Viktor Orbán Over Putin Meeting

Hungarian Prime Minister and newly assumed Council of the European Union President Viktor Orbán's unannounced visit to Russia on Friday has sparked a wave of condemnation from European allies of Ukraine.

Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday morning to discuss peace proposals for Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine. The visit, part of what Orbán calls his "peace mission," comes just three days after he made a trip to Kyiv and urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a cease-fire.

The European Union and the United States remain strong allies of Ukraine, sending weapons and supplies to the country while sanctioning Russia for the invasion Putin launched in February 2022. Orbán, meanwhile, is widely regarded as having the closest ties with Putin among EU leaders and has attempted to halt EU efforts to support Ukraine. However, in a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), he called for putting "the disputes of the past behind us" while acknowledging his strained relationship with Ukraine.

Orbán's visit to Russia has drawn public criticism from some EU officials, who emphasized that he does not represent their country's or the EU's position.

An EU official told Newsweek in an email Friday, "Prime Minister Orbán did not inform of any trip to Moscow. There were numerous attempts to establish contact and confirm reports of PM Orbán possible visit to Russia, these were unsuccessful."

The official continued, "If PM Orbán had asked, President Michel would have strongly advised against such a visit," in reference to the president of the European Council, Charles Michel.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas accused Orbán of "exploiting" his new six-month position as president of the EU council, which he assumed on July 1, "to sow confusion" by meeting with Putin.

"The EU is united, clearly behind Ukraine and against Russian aggression," Kallas, who was nominated in late June to serve as the EU's next foreign policy chief, wrote on X.

Newsweek reached out on Friday to Kallas' press team via email for comment.

Orbán posted a photo on X of his arrival in Moscow. The image featured the logo of Hungary's EU council presidency—"HU24EU"—and was accompanied by the caption, "The #peace mission continues. Second stop: #Moscow." Use of the official logo also caused a stir among EU members.

Josep Borrell, EU's foreign policy chief, clarified in a Friday press release that Orbán's visit "takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia" and is not reflective of the EU's stance.

The announcement further added, "Orbán has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow," and the "Hungarian Prime Minister is thus not representing the EU in any form."

During a Friday press conference, Chief European Commission spokesperson Eric Mamer also spoke about Orbán's meeting with Putin, saying the commission was unaware of the visit and that the trip "was not coordinated with us."

Newsweek reached out to Orbán's press team via email for comment.

Earlier in the day, Orbán acknowledged in a post on X that he could not formally act on behalf of the EU in this Moscow meeting, writing, "Even if the rotating EU Presidency has no mandate to negotiate on behalf of the EU, we cannot sit back and wait for the war to miraculously end. We will serve as an important tool in making the first steps towards #peace. This is what our peace mission is about."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was also among those who denounced the visit. In an X post, she wrote: "Appeasement will not stop Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson called Orbán using his leverage of the presidency to visit Russia "irresponsible and disloyal."

"It sends the wrong signal to the outside world and is an insult to the Ukrainian people's fight for their freedom," Kristersson wrote on X. "Viktor Orbán stands alone in this. He does not speak for the European Union and not for other EU Heads of State or Government."

Petr Fiala, the prime minister of Czech Republic said on X that Orbán "does not represent our or EU interests in Moscow."

He added, "The Czech position is clear: Putin is the aggressor, we stand with Ukraine."

Updated 7/5/24 at 3:05 p.m. ET: This article has been updated to add an EU officials comment.