On July 18, during a speech in the European Parliament, Ursula von der Leyen called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's visit to Moscow "nothing but a pacification mission."
Points of attention
- The president of the European Commission called Orban's visit to Putin a "pacification mission", criticizing him for supporting Russia in the war against Ukraine.
- Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the importance of Europe's support for Ukraine and called on the world to prioritize a just and lasting peace.
- Orbán's meeting with Putin and his trip to China caused mixed reactions from the leadership of the EU and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the European Union.
Ursula von der Leyen criticised Viktor Orbán
The president of the European Commission and a candidate for re-election to this position, Ursula von der Leyen, emphasised that "Russia is betting that Europe and the West will become soft, and some in Europe will play along with it."
Two weeks ago, the European prime minister went to Moscow on a so-called peace mission. This mission was nothing but a peacemaking mission.
Ursula von der Leyen
President of the European Commission
Ursula von der Leyen noted that a few days after "Orban's peacekeeping visit", Russia struck the "Okhmatdyt" children's hospital in Kyiv.
In her opinion, it was not a mistake but a message:
Our answer should be just as clear: no one wants peace more than the people of Ukraine, a just and lasting peace. [...] And Europe will be by Ukraine's side as long as it takes — that's our message.
What is known about Orbán's "peace tour"
On July 2, Viktor Orban came to Kyiv, where he held talks with Volodymyr Zelenskyy. It was his first visit to Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war. During the meeting, Orban called the war an invasion of Russia but asked Zelenskyy for a ceasefire.
Already on July 5, Orban came to Moscow and met with the dictator of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin. One of the key topics of the meeting was the Russian Federation's war against Ukraine and its "peaceful settlement". On July 8, Orbán came to China as part of his "peace mission".
On the same day, Zelenskyy said he did not know Orban would go to Moscow after Kyiv. He noted that Orban could not be a mediator on the issue of ending the war. This role can be played by the USA, China, and the collective EU, which are forces that are able to restrain Russia economically and militarily.
The EU leadership criticised Orban's trip. The ministers of foreign affairs of the European Union plan to ignore the summit in Budapest, which is scheduled for August 28 and 29.
