Orban’s visit to Putin causes trouble in the Baltic states

He actually did: Viktor Orbán met Putin in Moscow and promised “surprising news from surprising places”. People in the EU are panicking.

Updated as of July 6, 10:42 am: The AfD parliamentary group in the Bundestag has welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s controversial trip to Russia as a “peace effort”. “Hungary is moving forward and speaking directly to both sides of the conflict on the first day of its EU Council presidency. This has been a key demand of the AfD faction since the beginning of the war,” explained the faction’s foreign policy spokesman Matthias Moosdorf. An AfD politician, Orbán is currently the only European head of state. says that

Orban deceives Baerbok by canceling meeting with Putin

Updated as of July 6, 9:16 am: Viktor Orbán drew fury from EU partners with his surprise visit to Putin. Now Hungary’s rejection of talks with German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbach (Greens) is causing further scandal. Annalena Berbach was actually due to fly to Hungary on Monday (July 8). But the meeting of EU counterparts was canceled at short notice – by Hungary. This was confirmed by the Ministry of External Affairs on Friday evening.

Orban visits Putin – US government “concerned”

Updated on July 5, 8:14 p.m: Criticism of Putin’s visit doesn’t go away: US government expresses “concern” over Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s surprise trip to Moscow. US President Joe Biden’s spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said the NATO ally’s behavior was “counterproductive” to supporting Ukraine’s sovereignty and would not contribute to peace in the country hit by Russia. “Russia can end this war today by abandoning its offensive against Ukraine, against its sovereignty and against its democracy,” he continued. Orban’s trip to talks with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin came as a surprise and drew sharp criticism from EU representatives, Western politicians and Ukraine.

Visit to Russia: Orban fails at Putin’s Ukraine talks

Updated as of July 5, 5:18 pm: Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said they discussed possible ways out of the conflict in Ukraine at a meeting in Moscow. Orban, for his part, said the positions were “far away”. He added: “Many measures are necessary to end the war and bring about peace.” “I will continue this work.”

Putin reiterated Moscow’s demand that Ukraine cede parts of its territory claimed by Russia. “The complete withdrawal of all Ukrainian soldiers from the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics and the Zaporizhia and Kherson regions” is necessary. Putin announced the unification of the four regions in September 2023.

A visit to Putin is over: Orban’s trip has met with severe criticism in the EU

Updated July 5, 4:30 p.m: Despite sharp criticism from the European Union, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin and right-wing populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held their talks at the Kremlin in Moscow. The conversation lasted two and a half hours in total. Both prefer to keep the press informed about their discussions. Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, made the following announcement. Many questions were discussed in very good conditions – especially about Ukraine, he said. However, no concrete details have been released yet.

Earlier, the Baltic countries in particular had clearly condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Russia. “In Moscow, Viktor Orbán in no way represents the EU or the EU’s position. He is using the EU presidency to cause confusion,” Kaja Kallas, head of the Estonian government and EU foreign policy chief-designate, wrote on the website X.

Updated as of July 5, 11:38 am: The rumors have been confirmed: Hungary’s right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has arrived in Moscow for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This was announced by Orban’s spokesman Bertalan Havasi.

Rumors of Orban meeting Putin in Moscow: EU Council President and Tusk worried

First Report: Moscow – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is rumored to be traveling for the meeting Vladimir Putin For Moscow, stirring up the EU. Orbán plans to visit the Russian president, who launched a war of aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, on Friday (July 5). While Hungary remains silent on the reports, EU representatives and other government leaders are voicing their concerns.

The rumors come from the Inquisition Portal Clarity and Broadcasting Group RFE/RL, which had previously reported, citing anonymous sources, that Orbán would meet Putin in Moscow on Friday. “The rotating EU Council Presidency does not have the mandate to hold a dialogue with Russia on behalf of the EU,” he warned. EUCouncil President Charles Michael on Thursday on X (formerly Twitter). It was only on Monday (July 1) that Hungary took over the EU’s rotating presidency until the end of the year.

Michael also wrote that the European Council agreed: “Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim.” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also expressed his concerns about the Putin-Orban rumours. “The rumors about your visit to Moscow can’t be true, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, or can you read Dusk’s X account?”

Orban sparks rumors of meeting with Putin: “Surprising news from surprising places”

Like a news agency AFP He said several attempts by the EU to confirm reports of Orbán’s possible trip to Russia had failed. The Hungarian prime minister did not comment on the meeting with Putin, but announced on Monday that there would be “surprising news from surprising places”. The Hungarian government wanted to stop the rumours AFP-However, neither confirmed nor denied the claim. EU Council President Charles Michael clarifies that he “would have strongly advised Orbán against such a visit”.

Despite war in Ukraine: Hungarian PM Orban maintains close ties with Moscow and Putin

If Viktor Orbán does indeed visit Putin on Friday, it would be the first visit by a European head of state or government to the Russian capital since Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehhammer traveled to Moscow in April 2022. Orban, who has maintained close ties with Moscow despite the Ukraine war, last met Putin in October 2023 at a summit in Beijing. When re-elected as Russian president, the Hungarian prime minister emphasized “mutual respect” between the two countries.

On Tuesday, Viktor Orban visited Kiev for the first time since the start of the war in Ukraine. There he pushed the president of Ukraine Selenskij Temporary ceasefire with Russia to hold peace talks. Earlier, Orban had repeatedly called for economic sanctions against Russia and delayed EU financial aid to war-torn Ukraine. He has also repeatedly positioned himself against opening EU accession negotiations with Ukraine. (nbe with content from AFP)