Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is currently in Moscow, meeting with Russian President Putin for talks. However, his decision to visit Russia has not been universally approved of.
Recently, Orban was in Kiev, Ukraine, where he met with President Zelensky. Following that meeting, he traveled to Moscow to speak with Putin. Afterward, he plans to attend a conference in Azerbaijan. This is not the first time that Orban has spoken with Putin – they previously discussed Chinese investments worldwide in Beijing last October.
The timing of this visit is significant, particularly given that it comes after Orban’s recent meeting with Ukrainian President Zelensky. Some EU diplomats have criticized the trip to Russia as being inconsistent with current EU policy and potentially damaging to EU unity.
In response to this criticism, Orban stated that under Hungary’s EU presidency, they are working towards peace. He is viewed as a populist leader and the only ally of the Kremlin in the EU. During his time in Kiev, he called for a ceasefire but did not demand that Russian troops leave occupied Ukrainian territory.
Overall, while some are concerned about the impact of Orban’s visit on EU unity and policy, he remains committed to his mission for peace as part of Hungary’s EU presidency.
