Putin is in talks with Orban. They discussed the “nuances” of proposals to end the war – World – News

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow on Friday for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban’s spokesman Bertaran Havasi made the announcement, Reuters reported, citing Russian and Hungarian media.

TASS,
CTK

July 5, 2024 12:19 p.m., Updated: 2:02 p.m.

Havasi said the Hungarian prime minister came to Russia as part of a “peace mission.”

“Peace cannot be achieved from comfortable chairs in Brussels. Although the EU presidency does not have the power to negotiate on behalf of the twenty-seven, we cannot just sit back and wait for the war to end miraculously,” Orbán said today in his profile on the X social network. According to Orbán, Hungary wants to “take the first steps on the road to peace.” “This is where our mission for peace lies,” he also wrote.

Putin meets with Orban

Vladimir Putin told Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban that he was ready to discuss the “nuances” of a peace proposal to end the war in Ukraine. TASR reported this with reference to a Reuters report.

Putin, who met Orban in the Kremlin, said he wanted to hear the Hungarian prime minister’s position on the situation in Ukraine and understand the views of other European leaders.

“I hope we will have the opportunity to exchange views on building bilateral relations in this difficult situation and, of course, discuss the prospects for the development of the biggest crisis in Europe, I mean the Ukrainian crisis,” the Russian president added. He said Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union on July 1.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said ahead of talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow that Hungary is becoming the last European country able to talk to Russia and Ukraine, and he wants to take advantage of this position.

“Hungary will slowly become the last European country that can talk to everyone,” Orban said, according to RIA Novosti.

Even as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine enters its third year, Orban’s government has maintained good relations with Moscow. He has refused to provide military aid to Kiev and criticized EU sanctions against Moscow.

The Associated Press wrote that Orban is generally considered Putin’s closest partner in the European Union. On July 1, Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the European Council from Belgium.

READ ALSO Peace mission? Orban once served as Kiev’s anti-missile shield

It does not have EU authorization

EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell said Orban’s visit to Moscow was bilateral in nature and the Hungarian prime minister had not received any EU authorization for it.

Orban does not represent NATO in the negotiations with Putin in Moscow. This was announced by the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Alliance, Jens Stoltenberg, at a press conference on the sidelines of the NATO summit to be held in Washington next week. Stoltenberg added that Orban informed the North Atlantic Alliance in advance about his trip to Russia. He stressed that Hungary supports all past NATO statements condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine. The NATO leader said that all allies know who the aggressor is and that Russia is responsible for the war.

The main topic of the summit next week in Washington will be the situation in Ukraine. Stoltenberg said the North Atlantic Alliance is doing everything it can to prepare Ukraine for future membership in NATO. The alliance chief wants allies to provide more assistance to Kiev, and he specifically mentioned aid in air defense and ammunition.

“Appeasement will not stop Putin,” Commission Chair Ursula von der Leyen wrote on the social network X. “Only unity and determination can open the way to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine,” she added.

Similar to Josep Borrell, Charles Michel also reacted on Thursday. “The EU Presidency has no mandate to negotiate with Russia on behalf of the EU. The European Council’s position is clear: Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is the victim. There can be no negotiations on Ukraine without Ukraine,” Michel wrote on the X-Network.

Orban visited Kiev earlier this week and urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to consider a ceasefire to speed up an end to the war with Russia.