Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in Moscow, where he plans to discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin ways to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, TASS reported.
An Orban spokesman confirmed Friday morning that Orban had arrived in Moscow.
He does not have an EU mandate for the visit, as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell immediately made it clear and strongly condemned the trip: “The Hungarian Prime Minister in no way represents EU.“
The moment is particularly explosive as Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council on Monday. Rumors of a visit have already caused concern: “Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. "No conversation about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine," EU Council President Charles Michel warned.
Orban himself stated that he does not want to be a mediator between Kyiv and Moscow. Hungary's prime minister said he was in no position to mediate talks between Ukraine and Russia after media reports said he would travel to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orban, a critic of Western military aid to Ukraine who is on the warmest terms with Putin of any EU leader, said the fact that Hungary currently holds the bloc's rotating presidency does not give him the power to negotiate on his behalf.
Earlier this week, Orban met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev and urged him to consider a ceasefire to speed up the end of the war with Russia. Ukraine rejected Orban's proposal.