Ukraine rebukes Orban’s Moscow visit: “No agreements without us”

Orban's Moscow trip followed his meeting with Zelenskyy in Kyiv, where he proposed a ceasefire and negotiations with Putin.

Jul 5, 2024 - 14:47
Ukraine rebukes Orban’s Moscow visit: “No agreements without us”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Moscow visit to discuss peace in Ukraine was not coordinated with Kyiv, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry stated. 

“We remind all parties that the principle of ‘no agreements about Ukraine without Ukraine’ remains inviolable for our state, and we urge all countries to strictly adhere to it,” reads the statement.

Ukraine maintains its 10-point peace plan and the recent Swiss summit as the sole realistic path to ending the 2.5-year war with Russia.

EU High Representative Josep Borrell clarified that Orban’s visit carries no EU mandate, despite Hungary’s current EU Council presidency. 

“Hungary is now the EU Member State serving the rotating presidency of the Council until 31 December 2024. That does not entail any external representation of the Union,” he said in a statement.

Orban’s Moscow trip on 5 July followed his 2 July meeting with President Zelenskyy in Kyiv, where he proposed a ceasefire and negotiations with Putin. Ongoing Putin-Orban talks in the Kremlin focus on peace initiatives for Ukraine, both of them confirmed.

Hungarian PM Victor Orban in Moscow, Russia, 5 July, 2024. Photo: Orban via X/Twitter

Notably, Orban posted a photo from Moscow on X/Twitter, tagged with “HU24EU” – referencing Hungary’s EU Council presidency.

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