Putin believes that the Prime Minister of Hungary in Kyiv will defend the interests of the European Union, not his country.
Points of attention
- Putin believes that Orban will defend the interests of the European Union during his visit to Ukraine.
- Orban urged a ceasefire in Ukraine and intensified cooperation with the country to stabilise the situation.
- Hungary seeks to sign an agreement to cooperate with Ukraine. The document must regulate relations between the countries and may be based on a mirror approach to bilateral relations between Ukraine and Hungary.
What did the Kremlin say about Orban's trip to Kyiv?
Russia does not expect anything from the visit of the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, to Ukraine, as stated by the spokesman of Russian dictator Putin, Dmytro Peskov.
According to him, Budapest had no contact with Moscow before Orban visited Kyiv.
It is clear that Hungary, which took over the presidency of the EU during this period, must fulfill its functions. Therefore, in this case, I think, the duties in terms of Brussels interests will prevail here, and not in terms of national interests, — said Peskov.
At the same time, Putin's spokesman called Orbán a politician who "knows how to defend the interests of his country rather harshly."
What is known about Orban's visit to Kyiv
On July 2, Hungarian PM Viktor Orban arrived in Kyiv for the first time since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation. He had not visited the Ukrainian capital in 12 years.
This visit occurred the day after Hungary began its six-month presidency of the Council of the European Union.
During a press conference with Zelenskyy, Orban called for a "ceasefire". He noted that the war in Ukraine has a very intense effect on the security of Europe.
It also became known that Hungary wants to sign a global cooperation agreement with Ukraine.
The document will have to regulate relations between the countries and may be based on a mirror approach to bilateral relations between Ukraine and Hungary.
Hungary does not support Ukraine with weapons and regularly blocks decisions at the EU level designed to weaken Russia.
