Orban visits Russia

The Hungarian prime minister has landed in Moscow where he plans to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the Ukraine conflict

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in Moscow as part of an official visit, where he is expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss ways to resolve the Ukraine conflict.

Orban’s arrival was announced by his press secretary Bertalan Havasi, who stated that the Hungarian leader had come to Russia “as part of a peacekeeping mission.”

Previously, a number of top EU officials had openly criticized Orban’s plans to visit Russia, with European Council President Charles Michel condemning the trip and insisting that Hungary has “no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU.” This year, Budapest assumed the EU’s rotating presidency.

Orban, however, has claimed that he doesn’t require any sort of mandate in order to promote peace, noting that his discussions cannot be considered as official negotiations. He also admitted that his country has limited political clout and that peace talks to resolve the Ukraine crisis will most likely be held by larger powers.

“But we can be a good tool in the hands of God, we can be a good tool in the hands of people who want peace,” the prime minister said ahead of his visit to Moscow.

Earlier this week, Orban also traveled to Kiev, where he urged Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky to consider an immediate ceasefire.

His proposal, however, was met with rejection. After the trip, Orban stated that Zelensky had “some doubts” regarding the ceasefire suggestion and “didn’t like it very much” due to his “bad experience in the past with ceasefires.”