Hungary’s Viktor Orban to go to Russia, report says, as EU leaders fear – Cyber Tech

European leaders voiced considerations Thursday over rumours that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban – on the helm of the EU’s presidency – was about to journey to Moscow, with Council President Charles Michel saying there was “no mandate” for it.

Orban is the one EU chief to have maintained shut ties with the Kremlin following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

On Monday, Hungary took over the European Union’s rotating presidency, giving the central European nation sway over the bloc’s agenda and priorities for the following six months.

“The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to have interaction with Russia on behalf of the EU,” Michel wrote on X, previously Twitter.

“The European Council is evident: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the sufferer. No discussions about Ukraine can happen with out Ukraine,” he added.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk additionally took to X, posting: “The rumours about your go to to Moscow can’t be true @PM_ViktorOrban, or can they?”

In line with the investigative portal Vsquare and the media outlet RFE/RL, which quoted nameless sources, Orban is anticipated to fulfill Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, simply days after travelling to Kyiv.

If confirmed, the Moscow go to can be the primary one by a European chief since Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April 2022.

Requested by Agence France-Presse a couple of coming go to by Orban to Russia earlier on Thursday, the Hungarian authorities declined to remark.

However on Monday, Orban foreshadowed that there can be “stunning information from stunning locations”.

Orban and Putin final met in October 2023 in Beijing, the place they mentioned vitality cooperation.

On Tuesday, the Hungarian chief met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.

Through the go to, Orban urged Ukraine to work in direction of a “time-limited” ceasefire with Russia to hurry up peace talks.

Zelensky as an alternative referred to as on Orban to again Kyiv’s steps to work for peace at the side of worldwide companions.

Orban has repeatedly sought to melt EU sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The populist chief, in energy since 2010, recurrently criticises Europe’s monetary and army help for Kyiv and quickly blocked a €50 billion (US$53 billion) assist bundle for weeks.

He has additionally brazenly opposed holding EU membership talks with Kyiv in addition to Brussels’ sanctions on Moscow – although Budapest has not used its veto to dam the strikes.

Earlier this 12 months, Orban congratulated Putin on profitable re-election in a vote condemned by the West, praising the upkeep of dialogue and “mutual respect” between Hungary and Russia “even in difficult geopolitical contexts”.