Conflict arose between Hungary and Germany over Orbán's meeting with Putin
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock (photo: Getty Images)
Hungary abruptly canceled the visit to Budapest by German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock. This move follows Chancellor Olaf Scholz's criticism of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over his unannounced trip to Moscow, reports Bloomberg.
Baerbock was scheduled to meet with her Hungarian counterpart, Péter Szijjártó, who accompanied Orbán on his visit to Russia. However, the Hungarian government swiftly canceled the meeting on Friday evening, which has raised eyebrows in the German government, said an unnamed official in Berlin.
According to him, in light of Orbán's unofficial trip to Russia, a serious and frank discussion between the two foreign ministers would have been very important.
Orbán's trips to Kyiv and Moscow
On July 2, for the first time in 10 years, Orbán visited Kyiv where he met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the meeting, Orbán proposed that Ukraine stop resisting Russian encroachment and engage in negotiations with President Vladimir Putin. This proposal was rejected by the President's Office, noting that Orbán is not the first to make such peculiar suggestions.
On July 5, Orbán visited Moscow for a meeting with Putin.
Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, stated that despite Hungary's presidency of the European Union, it does not have a mandate to engage with the Russian Federation on behalf of the Union.
Scholz declared that the German government cannot support a ceasefire in Ukraine if it entails capitulation by Kyiv.
For more details on Orbán's trips, read the article by RBC-Ukraine.
