Orban after Moscow flies to Xi: “Peace Mission 3.0”
After Ukraine and Russia, now it’s China’s turn: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is making a surprise visit to Beijing to discuss the prospects for a peaceful solution in Ukraine. “Peace Mission 3.0,” Orban captioned a photo posted on social media platform X on Monday morning of himself after getting off the plane in Beijing. He was greeted by China’s vice minister of foreign affairs.Hua Chunying and other officials. Orban later met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Orban’s visit comes on the heels of similar trips last week to Moscow and Kiev, where he proposed that Ukraine consider a agreement for an immediate ceasefire with Russia. His visit to Moscow drew condemnation from Kiev and European leaders. “The number of countries that can talk to both sides of the war is decreasing,” Orban said. “Hungary is slowly becoming the only country in Europe that can talk to everyone,” he added. Hungary took over the EU’s rotating presidency in early July, and Russian President Putin suggested that Orban come to Moscow as the European Council’s top representative. Several senior European officials have rejected that suggestion and said Orban has no mandate for anything other than a discussion on bilateral relations.
The Hungarian prime minister, widely seen as having the warmest relations with Putin among EU leaders, has regularly blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to assist Kiev and impose sanctions on Moscow over its actions in Ukraine. He has long advocated a cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, but has not outlined what this might mean for the country’s territorial integrity or future security. This stance has frustrated Hungary’s EU and NATO allies, who have denounced Russia’s actions as a violation of international law and a threat to the security of Eastern European countries.
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