Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, ever the maverick, recently took his “peace mission” to Moscow, sending shockwaves through the European Union. The Financial Times reported on July 11 that Orbán’s chat with Russian President Vladimir Putin is considered a blatant violation of EU treaties. But does Orbán care? Absolutely not. Threats to strip Hungary of its presidency of the Council of the European Union? Bring it on.
Orbán’s audacity knows no bounds. He’s determined to play peacemaker in Ukraine, even if it means giving a cold shoulder to President Biden in favor of a cozy chat with Donald Trump. On July 7, he sauntered into Russia, claiming to extend his earlier “peace mission” from Kiev. The EU’s legal service quickly flagged this as jeopardizing the Union’s objectives, but Orbán remained unfazed, sticking to his script of independent diplomacy.
His actions have left EU officials fuming. At the July 10 NATO summit in Washington, European leaders mulled over a joint letter reprimanding Orbán, alongside brainstorming a special meeting of EU foreign ministers to address his rogue diplomacy. Some even floated the idea of boycotting informal ministerial meetings under Hungary’s EU presidency. The gall!
Orbán’s diplomatic escapades have ruffled feathers to an unprecedented degree. Hungary’s EU envoy, Balint Odor, endured a verbal lashing in Brussels, illustrating just how deep the resentment runs. “It’s unprecedented that the presidency would be reprimanded in such a way by all the others,” one senior EU diplomat vented anonymously, perhaps too diplomatically.
Undeterred, Orbán has been globe-trotting on his “peacekeeping missions” to Kiev, Moscow, Beijing, and Washington—all without the EU’s blessing, as Hungarian EU Affairs Minister János Bóka stressed. Orbán’s clandestine letters to European Council President Charles Michel and other EU leaders, detailing his diplomatic adventures, only added to the drama. He claimed Russia and China are optimistic about initiating peace talks by year-end.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó joined the fray, emphasizing Hungary’s alignment with Turkey on the necessity of a peace conference involving both conflict parties. “This is the only opportunity to reach an agreement,” he declared on M1 television, also calling how Switzerland flopped spectacularly due to Russia’s non-participation.
The EU’s collective blood pressure spiked further when Orbán, ever the realist, pointed out the obvious: Russia has the upper hand in the war. According to him, Western nations are merely prolonging the agony by continuously arming Ukraine. In a move that screamed pragmatism, Orbán jetted off to Mar-a-Lago on July 11 to discuss Ukraine with Trump, completely snubbing Biden. After all, why bother with the sitting president when you can bet on the potential return of the man who describes NATO as “obsolete”?
Orbán hasn’t had a sit-down with Biden since he became president nearly four years ago. But his bromance with Trump? That’s still going strong. He met Trump in March, lavished praise on him, and has repeatedly endorsed him over the years, dubbing him a “man of honor”.
Despite all the hoopla, it’s unlikely Hungary will lose its presidency of the Council of the European Union. But the episode highlights the deep frustration and anger Orbán’s solo peace mission has stirred in Brussels. The EU’s fervent wish for a Ukrainian victory over Russia clashes sharply with Orbán’s pragmatic approach. If Trump stages a political comeback, the war might conclude sooner than the EU anticipates—an outcome Orbán is banking on.