Guesswork - Speculation about Orban's visit to the Kremlin
Two days after Viktor Orban's visit to Kiev, rumors surfaced that the Hungarian Prime Minister would visit Moscow on Friday. "Are the rumors of your visit to Moscow true, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, or not?", Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote in the evening on the X platform. Several media outlets had previously reported on the possible visit.
A spokesperson for the Hungarian Prime Minister stated that Orban would be in Shusha in Nagorno-Karabakh on Friday and Saturday for a meeting of the Turkic Council, as reported by the Hungarian State News Agency MTI. A Kreml spokesperson initially declined to comment on the matter.
EU Council President Charles Michel did not mention the rumors of the visit specifically, but warned that the rotating EU Presidency has no mandate to represent the EU against Russia. "The European Council is clear: Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. Discussions about Ukraine cannot take place without Ukraine."
Hungary has held the regular rotating EU Presidency since Monday.
Orban visited Kiev for the first time since the beginning of Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022 on Tuesday. During his visit, he urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a ceasefire in the war with Russia. Currently, there are no negotiations between Kiev and Moscow.
- Despite the denial from Hungary, speculations about Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow persist, fueling EU-Russia tensions.
- Even with Budapest's statement regarding Orban's trip to Shusha, Budapest-Moscow speculation continues to stir conflicts in Europe.
- The rumor of Orban's potential visit to Moscow raised concerns in European capitals, particularly in light of Budapest's cooperation with Russia.
- In the face of these rumors, Donald Tusk engaging Orban in dialogue highlighted the EU's growing unease about European leaders engaging with the Kremlin.
- If Orban indeed visits Moscow, it could add to the burden of the EU-Russia relationship, already strained by disagreements over Ukraine.
- Despite Hungary's apparent commitment to the EU during their rotating presidency, Viktor Orban's possible meeting with Putin will fuel further speculation and rumors.
- The Kremlin's initial refusal to comment on the Orban visit added to the guesswork, further muddying the waters of EU-Russia diplomacy.
- Against the backdrop of this rumor and speculation, EU-Russia relations and European perception of Hungary's stance on Ukraine will remain topics of intense scrutiny and debate.
