Six countries to boycott EU Council meetings during Hungary's presidency
Photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Getty Images)
Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland will not send their ministers to the meetings organized by Hungary as part of its presidency of the EU Council, according to Reuters.
According to Sweden's Minister for EU Affairs, Jessika Roswall, the decision was made in protest against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"The Hungarian actions during the presidency are harmful and must have consequences. Sweden will therefore not participate on a political level during the informal government meetings in July," she said.
Roswall added that Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland will be represented at ministerial meetings by civil servants rather than ministers.
Moreover, other EU member states are also discussing similar actions.
Orbán's tour
On July 2, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Kyiv and met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. There, he suggested that Ukraine cease fire before starting peace talks with Russia.
On July 5, Orbán traveled to Moscow, where he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The EU stated that they did not mandate the Hungarian Prime Minister's trip to Russia.
Additionally, on July 8, the head of the Hungarian government visited China on his "peace mission."
After these events, EU member state ambassadors at a meeting in Brussels on Wednesday, July 10, sharply criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his trips to Russia and China on a "peace mission."
Furthermore, media reports today indicate that EU leaders are preparing a joint response to Orbán's visit to Russia.
There are also calls in the European Parliament to terminate Hungary's presidency in the EU Council.
