“He is here as the rotating president” –

Moscow following Kiev. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in the Russian capital and said he wants to use his six-month EU presidency, which began on Monday, to promote a negotiated peace in Ukraine. The challenge to European leaders has begun. Last Tuesday, Orban was in Kiev for his first mission since the start of the invasion of Ukraine. Here, the Hungarian prime minister asked President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire. Kiev, however, has said it is not willing to compromise. The visit to Moscow is the first by a European leader since Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer went to the Russian capital in April 2022 and failed in his attempt to convince Putin to end the war.

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“As I understand, you have come to Moscow also as the rotating president of the EU Council and not only as a partner of the Russian Federation.” This is how Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the Kremlin. The leader of Budapest, for his part, called the meeting in Moscow with his Russian colleague “special.” Putin said he expected an exchange of views on bilateral issues as well. European leaders, meanwhile, have discredited Orban’s trip. “I am ready to discuss with you” proposals for “a peaceful solution” to the Ukrainian crisis and “I hope you will let me know your position, the position of European partners,” the head of the Kremlin emphasized, according to Ria Novosti.