Orban, Europe’s president, may go to Moscow. Concerns in Brussels and Warsaw

“The rotating presidency of the European Union has no mandate to engage in dialogue with Russia on behalf of the European Union,” wrote Victim in X on Thursday. No discussion can take place without Ukraine.

Mr. Tusk also responded: “Viktor Orban, the rumors about your visit to Moscow cannot be true, can they? », he started on the same social network.

According to the online intelligence site VSquare, an expert on Central Europe and the media RFE/RL, relying on anonymous sources, Viktor Orban is expected in the Russian capital on Friday, three days after a surprise trip to Kyiv.

An EU official in Brussels said “several attempts” to confirm reports about Mr Orban’s trip had “failed”. Mr. Orban “did not report a trip to Moscow,” the official said, adding that if the Hungarian prime minister had asked the question, “President Michel would have strongly advised against such a visit.”

If confirmed, it will be the first time a European leader has visited Moscow since Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehhammer visited Moscow in April 2022.

“Surprising News from Surprising Places”

Questioned in the morning, the Hungarian government declined to comment, but earlier in the week, the Hungarian prime minister warned of “surprising news from surprising places”.

Closer to the Kremlin, nationalist leader Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday called for a “ceasefire” in Ukraine, suggesting that he oppose European positions and align himself with Ukrainian peace efforts instead. Mr. Orban thanked the Ukrainian president for the “moderation” of the dialogue and promised to “inform” the content of these discussions to the Council of the European Union, so that “necessary European decisions can be taken.”

Despite the war, Hungary strengthened political and economic ties with the Kremlin. Viktor Orbán met Vladimir Putin in Beijing in October 2023 to discuss energy cooperation. He disapproves of economic sanctions against Russia, and expresses opposition to any military aid to Q, continuing to hamper European efforts in the region.