The EU’s high representative for foreign relations, Josep Borrell, stresses that Prime Minister Orbán has not received any kind of mandate from the Council of Europe for his visit.
15:39•Updated 15:59
The leaders of Hungary and Russia have held talks in the afternoon in Moscow.
Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán arrived for a surprise visit to Moscow on Friday. Orbán justified his trip by saying that war threatens the EU and Hungary.
On Tuesday, Orbán went to Kiev to meet the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.
Orbán said in Moscow that Hungary is almost the only country in Europe that can hold a dialogue with both Ukraine and Russia.
President of Russia Vladimir Putin said he hoped Orbán would present him with the positions of Hungary and European partners.
For a long time, Prime Minister Orbán has expressed his desire to act as a negotiator to establish a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine and to start peace negotiations.
– He wants Ukraine to understand the peace negotiations on Russia’s terms and from the point of view, explains the docent of political history Katalin Miklóssy from the University of Helsinki in a phone interview.
The Hungarian Prime Minister was encouraged by the French election result
Hungary took over the presidency of the EU at the beginning of this month. The season lasts until the end of the year.
Miklóssy, docent of political history, characterizes Orbán’s travel, which started only a few days after the presidency, as solo travel. The presidency gives prestige and weight for six months.
Hungary has rebelled against the EU policies before. It has stopped sanctions against Russia and arms aid to Ukraine.
Katalin Miklóssy estimates that the EU expected that Ukraine and Hungary would warm up their relations, which had cooled in recent years, with Tuesday’s quick visit.
– That expectation was not met, but the prime minister left for Ukraine without a mandate and continued from there almost immediately to Moscow.
Miklóssy estimates that Orbán feels strong for three reasons.
– In the French elections, on the basis of the first round, success is expected for the pro-Russia party Marine Le Pen for a far-right party. An old friend of the prime minister Donald Trump’s the chances seem to improve the president Joe Biden due to weak performances.
In addition, more and more Europeans seem to support peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia based on opinion polls.
The EU leaders have brought the Prime Minister’s commuting
The other EU member states do not welcome the surprise visit of the prime minister of the country holding the presidency.
According to the press release published by the EU on Friday morning, the visit is about bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia. EU High Representative for External Relations Josep Borrell emphasizes that the prime minister Viktor Orbán represent the EU in Moscow.
The EU has also dissociated itself from Orbán’s activities through the mouths of its member states. Among other things, the prime minister Petteri Orpo commented on Thursday that Hungary does not have the authority to negotiate on behalf of the EU.
The previous politician representing the leadership of an EU country to visit Moscow was the Chancellor of Austria Karl Nehammer. He visited Moscow in April 2022.
Moscow is only a stopover for Hungary
Hungary’s Orbán is due to leave Moscow later today for the annual meeting of the Council of Turkic States in Azerbaijan.
– At this point, the prime minister can soften his message and say that Moscow was only a stopover on the way to the next meeting, assesses docent Katalin Miklóssy.