Russia and China peace missions prompt EU members to seek ways to punish Hungary

Right-wing leader Viktor Orban accused of ‘100 per cent abusing’ bloc’s rotating presidency for pursuing Moscow-friendly foreign policy

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks to the media in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Tuesday. Photo: Reuters

Published: 3:00pm, 9 Jul 2024Updated: 6:18pm, 9 Jul 2024

European Union members were looking for ways to punish Hungary on Monday after the country’s leader, Viktor Orban, continued his self-described “peace mission” to Beijing under the banner of Budapest’s presidency of the bloc.

It came after a controversial visit to the Kremlin last week, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and called for an immediate ceasefire in the war in Ukraine, launched by Russia’s invasion in February 2022.

Hungary took up the six-month presidency, a rotating and largely administrative role, on July 1.

While the position bestows no foreign policy authority, Orban visited Kyiv, Moscow, Azerbaijan and Beijing in quick succession and on each occasion, posted images using the official logo of Hungary’s EU leadership.

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On each stop, he has called for an immediate end to hostilities – departing from the EU’s official position of considering Russia to be the aggressor and that peace must be made on Ukraine’s terms.

“He has no mandate on these visits to represent the EU,” European Commission spokesman Eric Mamer told reporters on Monday.