Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, a visit condemned by European leaders. Russian state media released a video of Orbán shaking hands with Putin in the Kremlin, with Putin saying, “I’m at your disposal.” Orbán described the visit as part of a “peace mission” in a tweet on Friday morning, following his unexpected visit to Kyiv on Tuesday where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
The meeting comes just days after Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, sparking outrage among European politicians. They insist Orbán lacks authorization from the bloc’s governments to negotiate. Orbán has been Putin’s most reliable ally in the EU, hindering efforts to support Kyiv and often echoing Moscow’s narratives about the invasion of Ukraine.
“The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU,” European Council President Charles Michel stated on X Thursday. “No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed this sentiment, asserting that “Appeasement will not stop Putin.”
The European Commission said it was unaware of Orbán’s trip in advance, while NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg confirmed the defense alliance, which includes Hungary, had been informed beforehand. Stoltenberg clarified that Orbán attended the meeting as Hungary’s leader, not as a NATO representative. Speaking at a news conference, Stoltenberg mentioned that Russia has not significantly changed its stance on the Ukraine war, showing “no signs Putin was ready to negotiate for peace.”
The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, emphasized on Friday that “Orbán’s visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.”
