EU foreign ministers to discuss response to Orbán's 'peace mission' to Russia and China
Photo: EU diplomat Josep Borell (Getty Images)
EU foreign ministers will discuss how to respond to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's trips to Russia and China, as well as Hungary's position on the EU's role in Ukraine, according to EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell.
“We will discuss what has happened and positions taken by the Hungarian government,” Borrell says, calling them ”unacceptable.”
Some member states want the bloc to take a tougher stance against Budapest. Among the proposals is a boycott or reduced participation of ministers in an informal meeting in Budapest in late August, although countries disagree on the feasibility of such measures.
Orbán's tour
In early July, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Kyiv, where he proposed a ceasefire to Ukraine before starting peace talks with Russia. Later, Orbán went on to hold talks with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin and then to China to meet with Xi Jinping.
In turn, EU ambassadors criticized Orbán for his “peace mission.” MEPs also called for Hungary's veto power to be revoked.
After Orbán visited China and Russia, six countries announced that they would not send their ministers to meetings organized by Hungary as part of its presidency of the EU Council. Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland announced the boycott. Later, Denmark joined the boycott of Hungary.
