Orban’s Moscow Visit Draws Criticism from EU Council President Charles Michel

Charles Michel, President of the European Council, has voiced concerns regarding Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s upcoming visit to Russia, scheduled for Friday. Michel addressed the matter on social media platform X.

The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.

The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.

— Charles Michel (@CharlesMichel) July 4, 2024

Michel emphasised that Hungary, which began its rotational presidency of the European Council in July, does not hold a mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the European Union. “The European Council’s position is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can occur without Ukraine,” Michel stated.

The planned visit follows shortly after Orban’s trip to Kyiv, a move reported by journalist Szabolcs Panyi of VSquare and Direkt36, who covers Central and Eastern Europe.

‼️🇷🇺Tomorrow, Viktor Orbán is expected to travel to Moscow, just days after he paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, multiple Western and CEE officials independently told me. Foreign minister Péter Szijjártó (Lavrov’s buddy) goes too. What a start to @HU24EU! @VSquare_Project pic.twitter.com/dP75HC8t6X

— Szabolcs Panyi (@panyiszabolcs) July 4, 2024

Panyi’s sources indicated that Orban, accompanied by Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, known for his pro-Russian stance, would head to Moscow. This information was corroborated by Radio Free Europe sources.

Hungary’s official tenure as the presiding nation of the European Union commenced on 1 July, positioning Orban as a significant EU representative in his forthcoming meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

In a related development, it has been reported that Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto contacted Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov following the leaders’ meeting in Kyiv.

Read also:

Orban Admits Zelensky Rejected His Russia-Favourable Peace Plan

Click here for more News & Current Affairs at EU Today

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________