– Irresponsible and disloyal, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson insisted on X following it became known on Friday that Orban had taken the plans seriously and made the trip to Moscow.
– A mockery
– The trip sends the wrong signal to the outside world and is a mockery of the Ukrainian people, who are fighting for their freedom, says Kristersson.
Orban’s journey is especially inflamed as Hungary this week took over the rotating presidency of the EU.
The visit does not go down well in Kyiv either.
– The decision to carry out this trip was taken by Hungary without any agreement or coordination with Ukraine, says a statement from the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry.
– We remind you that the principle of “no agreements on Ukraine without Ukraine” is indisputable for us. We ask all states to follow it strictly, the statement further states.
“Peace Tour”
– Orban does not have a mandate to engage in Russia on behalf of the EU, tweeted an angry EU President Charles Michel on Wednesday evening when rumors of the trip began to circulate.
EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell emphasizes that Orban “does not represent the EU in any way” in Moscow.
The so-called “peace tour”, which takes place just days before the start of the NATO summit in Washington, is also heavily criticized by other EU summits.
– With such a meeting, Hungary’s chairmanship ends before it has really begun. Hungary does not seem to have understood its role, says an EU diplomat to Reuters.
– Does not represent NATO
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, for his part, emphasizes that Orban does not represent NATO in Moscow either.
– Orban has been to Moscow before and has informed us regarding the trip. I expect that Orban will inform regarding the results of the visit to the summit next week, Stoltenberg said at a press conference in Brussels on Friday.
He adds that it is well known that Hungary has a different view of NATO’s military support for Ukraine.
– What is important is that all allies, including Hungary, agree that Russia is the aggressor here.
– Can not wait
Orban defends himself by saying that peace in Ukraine cannot be achieved from an armchair in Brussels.
– We cannot sit back and wait for the war to miraculously be over, he writes on X.
The Russian president, for his part, says that he expects Orban to speak for Europe when it comes to Ukraine.
– I understand that this time you are not only here as a long-term partner, but as the leader of the European Council, Vladimir Putin said when the meeting with Orban started.
Three hours with Zelenskyj
Orban is the first EU leader to visit Moscow since Austrian Prime Minister Karl Nehammer’s failed trip in April 2022.
Earlier this week, Orban went on a surprise visit to Ukraine, where he spent three hours with President Volodymyr Zelenskyj. The trip was his first to Ukraine since the invasion.
Among other things, Orban asked Zelenskyj to consider a ceasefire in order to speed up possible peace negotiations.
#Orbans #Moscow #trip #causing #anger #Brussels #Kyiv
2024-07-06 09:52:15
