International Relations | Minister Valtonen: Orbán does not represent the EU in Moscow – visit condemned all over Europe

Russian president Vladimir Putin says he is ready to discuss “nuances” regarding Ukraine.

Putin addressed his words to the Hungarian Prime Minister, who arrived in Moscow on Friday To Viktor Orbán. The meeting of the leaders is reported by the news agencies Reuters and AFP, among others.

“I hope that we will have the opportunity to exchange views on bilateral relations in this difficult situation and – of course – to talk about the prospects of Europe’s biggest crisis, I mean in the direction of Ukraine,” Putin said at the beginning of the meeting.

Putin said he was ready to hear Orbán’s views on Ukraine and his report on the positions of other European countries.

Orbán, on the other hand, said that he wanted to talk with Putin about “important issues for Europe”. Message service X. has the prime minister framed by his visit as a “journey of peace”.

“Hungary is gradually becoming the last European country that can talk to everyone,” Orbán teased his European partners, according to Ria Novosti.

Hungary took over the EU presidency on Monday.

Foreign minister Elina Valtonen (kok) emphasizes that this does not, however, give Hungary a mandate to act as a representative of the EU’s foreign policy.

“Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán will not represent the EU on his trip to Russia,” Valtonen commented to HS via text message.

“We discuss the topic among our colleagues.”

President Alexander Stubb has again said that he personally does not consider Orbán’s visit appropriate. He believes that Putin will use this to his advantage.

The secretary general of NATO has also made a break with Orbán Jens Stoltenberg. According to the AFP news agency, he emphasizes that Orbán is traveling as an independent actor and does not represent the military and defense alliance NATO in Moscow.

The Kremlin the spokesman said in advance that Orbán and Putin will discuss the war in Ukraine. Earlier this week Orbán visited In Kiev, meeting the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Moscow’s visit had not been agreed with Kyiv in advance.

“The decision on the trip was made on the Hungarian side without an agreement or coordination with Ukraine,” the ministry says in its press release.

The ministry says it adheres to the principle that decisions regarding Ukraine should not be made without Ukraine, reports news agency AFP.

Foreign Minister Valtonen also says the same.

“The support of Finland and the EU for Ukraine is clear. Russia is an aggressor state and discussions about Ukraine cannot take place without Ukraine,” Valtonen says.

Orbán’s the visit has been widely condemned across Europe.

For example, the president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen according to appeasement will not stop Putin.

“Only unity and determination are the path to lasting peace in Ukraine,” von der Leyen wrote in X.

Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholz again stated that the EU’s solidarity with Ukraine will not wane because of Orbán’s visit.

“Ukraine can count on our solidarity. Putin cannot count on a weakening of our solidarity and support,” Scholz said.

Stay is the first trip of the leader of an EU country to Moscow since the chancellor of Austria by Karl Nehammer visit in April 2022.

For example, the Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó however, has traveled to Moscow several times even after the Russian invasion.

Orbán traveled to Russia for the last time in September 2022, the last leader of the Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev to the funeral, but did not meet Putin at that time. Orbán last met Putin in October 2023 in Beijing.

Orbán has repeatedly sought to soften the EU’s sanctions against Russia. Hungary in the spring stuck alone EU support package worth 50 billion euros for Ukraine.