The Hungarian prime minister recently visited Kiev, Moscow, and Beijing for talks
President of the European Council Charles Michel attends the Council meeting on June 27, 2024 in Brussels, Belgium. © Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
European Council President Charles Michel has rejected Hungary’s proposals to end the Ukraine conflict, Reuters reported on Tuesday. Michel has publicly criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who recently visited Kiev, Moscow, and Beijing as part of a “peace mission.”
In a letter to Orban, Michel reportedly told the Hungarian leader that he had no EU mandate for negotiations on the conflict.
“The rotating Presidency of the Council [that Hungary holds] has no role in representing the Union on the international stage and received no European Council mandate to engage on behalf of the Union,” Reuters quoted Michel as writing.
The message came in response to a letter sent by Orban to EU leaders last week, in which he outlined the results of his negotiations with the Ukrainian, Russian, and Chinese leaderships, put forward proposals to end the conflict, and gave his take on Washington’s foreign policy following a visit to the US.
Orban suggested “reopening direct lines of diplomatic communication with Russia” while maintaining high-level contact with Kiev and conducting talks with China, which could act as a mediator.
In response, Michel said that “no discussion about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine,” and claimed that Brussels had “consistently sought to build broad international support for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace.”
Michel also rejected Orban’s claim that Brussels is following Washington’s pro-war lead and has no independent action plan of its own. The Hungarian prime minister argued that US President Joe Biden isn’t capable of changing Washington’s approach to Ukraine, while his election rival, Donald Trump, has a detailed plan and is ready to act as a “a peace broker.”
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The EU and the US have provided Kiev with billions worth of military aid since the outbreak of hostilities with Russia in 2022. Hungary is one of the few EU nations to criticize Brussels’ approach to the conflict. Budapest has refused to send weapons to Kiev and has repeatedly blocked sanctions against Russia as well as aid to Ukraine. Orban has insisted that the Ukraine conflict needs to be resolved through negotiations.
During his visit to Kiev, the Hungarian leader called on Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire with Russia – a proposal the latter rejected.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly insisted that the hostilities can only end if Ukraine fulfills several of Moscow’s demands – including legally binding guarantees that Kiev will not seek NATO membership.
