EU and US slam Hungary's Orban for holding talks with Putin

Viktor Orban's trip to Russia threatens to undermine EU's stance on Ukraine conflict, officials say

Russian President Vladimir Putin shakes hands with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban during their meeting at the Kremlin in Moscow. Hungarian Prime Minister's Press Office / AFP

The EU, US and Ukraine criticised Hungarian leader Viktor Orban for visiting Russia on Friday and holding talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Mr Putin hosted Mr Orban for talks at the Kremlin, which were described by the Russian President as a “really useful, frank conversation” on the conflict in Ukraine.

Hungary has adopted the friendliest posture in the EU towards Moscow amid the war.

The surprise trip was blasted by a string of EU officials, who said it threatened to undermine the 27-member bloc's stance on the conflict. They stressed that Mr Orban did not represent Brussels.

The pair “talked about the possible ways of resolving” the Ukraine conflict, Mr Putin said in remarks after a bilateral meeting.

The Russian leader repeated his demand that Ukraine withdraw all its troops from regions that Moscow has annexed and said Kyiv was “not ready to drop the idea of waging war until a victorious end”.

Mr Putin said at the start of the talks that he wanted to “discuss the nuances that have developed” over the conflict in Ukraine with Mr Orban, who also visited Kyiv earlier this week.

Mr Orban in turn said he had realised “positions are far apart” between the two sides.

“The number of steps needed to end the war and bring about peace is many,” he said.

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The visit came days after Hungary took over the EU's rotating presidency. Mr Putin told Mr Orban he expected him to outline “the position of European partners” on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian government slammed the meeting, stressing it had no hand in its planning.

“The decision to make this trip was made by the Hungarian side without any agreement or co-ordination with Ukraine,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

EU leaders lashed out at Mr Orban over the trip.

“Appeasement will not stop Putin,” European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X.

“Only unity and determination will pave the path to a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine.”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said in a statement that Mr Orban's “visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia”.

“Orban has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow,” he added.

The EU has firmly opposed Russia's military offensive in Ukraine, imposing 14 rounds of unprecedented sanctions on Moscow.

“That position excludes official contacts between the EU and President Putin. The Hungarian Prime Minister is thus not representing the EU in any form,” Mr Borrell said.

“It is worth recalling that President Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court and an arrest warrant released for his role in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.”

EU Council chief Charles Michel had earlier reiterated the common stance that “no discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine”.

The US also criticised the trip as “counterproductive”, while Nato, of which Hungary is a member, distanced itself.

Mr Orban's visit “will not advance the cause of peace and is counterproductive to promoting Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence”, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.

Nato head Jens Stoltenberg said Mr Orban had informed the alliance of his trip but stressed the Hungarian leader was “not representing Nato at these meetings. He's representing his own country”.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian state TV the visit had been Mr Orban's idea and Russian officials only heard about the trip on Wednesday – a day after the Hungarian leader had visited Kyiv.

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Hungary's six-month EU presidency gives the central European country sway over the bloc's agenda and priorities for the next six months.

Mr Orban on Friday insisted that peace in Ukraine cannot be achieved without dialogue.

“If we just sit in Brussels, we won't be able to get any closer to peace. Action must be taken,” Mr Orban said during an interview on Hungarian state radio, when asked about his visit to Ukraine.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed disbelief at Mr Orban's Moscow trip, while Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo called it “disturbing news”.

The visit is the first to Moscow by a European leader since a trip by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April 2022.

Mr Orban and Mr Putin last met in October 2023 in Beijing, where they discussed energy co-operation.