Viktor Orban flies to Moscow to meet Vladimir Putin on a “peace mission” that produces a series of negative results. The EU rejects the Hungarian Prime Minister’s initiative outright, Ukraine does not recognize any value in the meeting and even Putin, in the end, closes the day by setting conditions that Russia does not even intend to negotiate. “The positions are very far apart”, Orban’s summary in the joint conference that comes after the meeting, which lasted about 2 and a half hours.
Orban, who has just taken over the rotating presidency of the EU, was received last week in Kiev by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, to whom he – unsuccessfully – stressed the importance of reaching a ceasefire. Now, the Hungarian prime minister arrives in Moscow with the ambition of becoming a point of reference: “Hungary will soon be the only country in Europe capable of maintaining dialogue with both Moscow and Kiev,” he says before the meeting with Putin.
Orban: “I wanted to open a channel, mission accomplished”
“For Europe, peace is the most important thing. We believe that the main goal of the next six months of our presidency is the fight for peace”, the Hungarian Prime Minister said at the end of the day. “Many steps must be taken to bring the end of the war closer”, he added, still calling the contact with Putin “an important step”.
“I will continue to work in this direction, for Europe peace is the most important thing – he continues – I wanted to hear the president’s opinion on the available peace initiatives, what he thinks of the ceasefire and peace negotiations and how they could be carried forward”. On social media, late in the evening, he ‘celebrates’: “I have concluded my talks in Moscow with the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin. My goal was to open direct communication channels and start a dialogue on the shortest path to peace. Mission accomplished!”.
Putin’s Conditions
And Putin? The Kremlin leader flaunts Orban’s presence in Moscow as an achievement. “Taking into account the fact that Hungary has been chairing the Council of the European Union since July 1, Orban and I exchanged views on the state of affairs in relations between Russia and the European Union, which are currently at their lowest point,” the Russian president emphasized.
In fact, the dialogue on solutions to end the war never took off. Putin once again rules out a ceasefire in Ukraine because it would help the “Kiev regime” to recover and prepare to fight.
“Russia is in favor of a complete and final end to the conflict”he says, reiterating the demand for “a complete withdrawal of all Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, from the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions”, and “other conditions” to be discussed “in sufficient detail” in any future meetings. Nothing new, therefore: Ukraine, as Zelensky says and repeats, is not considering the transfer of territories.
EU freeze: “Orban has no mandate”
The immediate effect that Orban’s trip produces is represented by the negative reactions coming from Brussels and Kiev.. “Appeasement will not stop Vladimir Putin. Only unity and determination will pave the way for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” says European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
“Prime Minister Orban has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow. The EU position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is reflected in many conclusions of the European Council. This position excludes official contacts between the EU and President Vladimir Putin. The Hungarian Prime Minister therefore does not represent the EU in any way”, says the EU High Representative, Josep Borrell, receiving the Hungarian Prime Minister’s social media response: “This is precisely the bureaucratic nonsense of Brussels that has not produced results in finding a way to peace in the Russia-Ukraine war. If we want to end the war we need a political approach instead of a bureaucratic one”, Orban tweeted.
“In Moscow, Viktor Orban in no way represents the EU or its positions. He is using his position as EU President to sow confusion. The EU is united, clearly in support of Ukraine and against Russian aggression“, the peremptory message from Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, indicated as the next High Representative of the EU.
Kiev: “Nobody is negotiating for Ukraine”
From Ukraine, frost: the Kiev Foreign Ministry stresses that “the decision” on the visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Moscow was “taken by the Ukrainian side without approval or coordination with Ukraine. The principle of ‘no deal on Ukraine without Ukraine‘ remains inviolable for our country”, with the invitation to “all States to strictly respect it”.
White House Concern: ‘Counterproductive Meeting’
The White House is ‘concerned’ about the visit of the Hungarian prime minister. Orban’s behavior is “counterproductive” in terms of supporting Ukrainian territorial integrity and does not contribute to peace in the country invaded by Russia, stressed spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre. “Russia could end this war today by stopping its aggression against Ukraine, its sovereignty, its democracy. They can withdraw. They can withdraw right now,” she added.
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