Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made a surprise visit to Russia on July 5, 2024, where he met with President Vladimir Putin to discuss ways to resolve the ongoing Ukraine conflict. This unexpected trip came just days after Orban had made an unannounced visit to Ukraine. The surprise nature of Orban’s Russian visit caused outrage among his fellow European Union (EU) leaders, as it was perceived to undermine the EU’s unity in its approach to dealing with Russia.
Hungary holds the rotating presidency for the remainder of this year, but Orban has claimed that he does not require any sort of mandate from Brussels to promote peace and foster dialogue between Russia and Ukraine. He emphasized that his discussions cannot be considered official negotiations.
Orban argued that peace could not be achieved by simply waiting for the conflict to end and said that his visit to Russia was an attempt to restore dialogue and find a way towards resolving the crisis. He acknowledged that he had no EU mandate for the trips but emphasized that he wanted to hear directly from Putin how Russia perceived various peace initiatives, describing it as an important step. However, he admitted that there was a significant gap between Moscow’s and Kiev’s positions on the conflict.
The Hungarian premier revealed that he and Putin discussed what they believed to be the “shortest way out” of the conflict, which later turned out to be establishing contact and working towards building trust for future negotiations. Despite this progress, Orban admitted that there was still a long way to go before an agreement could be reached between Russia and Ukraine.
In his speech at the Foreign Ministry last month, Putin outlined his vision of how the conflict can be resolved. He suggested that hostilities should be suspended immediately after Kiev renounces its bid to join NATO and orders its troops to pull back from all territories claimed by Moscow. Then a comprehensive discussion of a new security architecture in Europe could be held. The Ukrainian government has rejected this offer, but Putin insists that he is ready for negotiations to resolve the conflict peacefully.
The EU’s response to Orban’s visit to Russia was overwhelmingly negative. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen accused him of “appeasement” with regard to Putin and emphasized the importance of unity and determination in achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz distanced himself from Orban’s visit, stating that it had nothing to do with the EU and reiterating the bloc’s position on the conflict remains unchanged.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk criticized Orban for his decision to visit Russia, while Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas accused him of attempting to “sow confusion.” The Hungarian prime minister expressed concern that Western determination to escalate the Ukraine conflict may result in a direct clash with Russia, which could have catastrophic consequences for everyone involved.
The ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine is having a significant impact on the broader European region, according to Orban. He emphasized that Europe has experienced its most rapid and sustainable development only during times of peace and expressed concern that escalating tensions with Russia might lead to further economic difficulties for EU member states.