Orban has escalated tensions with the EU by arranging a meeting with Trump after his meetings with Putin and Xi International

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, instead of lowering his tone and lowering his ears, continues to challenge the European Union, now meeting with the Republican magnate Donald Trump, after the visits of the Russian Vladimir Putin and the Chinese Xi Jinping, about his alleged “peace mission” to Ukraine. The Hungarian national populist, who holds the semi-annual presidency of the EU Council, has scheduled a meeting with Trump in Florida this Thursday…

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, instead of lowering his tone and lowering his ears, continues to challenge the EU, now meeting with Republican magnate Donald Trump, after visits to the Russian Vladimir Putin and the Chinese Xi Jinping, regarding his alleged “peace mission” to Ukraine. According to diplomatic sources, the Hungarian national populist, who is holding a six-month presidency of the EU Council, has scheduled a meeting with Trump in Florida this Thursday. The Republican – who, like Orbán, is considered closer to Putin than the Ukrainian Volodymyr Zelensky – aspires to return to the White House after the elections in the United States in November, and has attacked the US and NATO policy of support to Ukraine. Trump’s visit, which is scheduled after the conclusion of the NATO summit in Washington, risks further raising tensions with the EU.

The unrest has grown in recent days. On Wednesday, in response to complaints from representatives of the rest of the member states (except Slovakia, which supports Hungary), the EU legal services pointed out that, with these visits, Orbán has been able to violate the European treaties by breaking unity, loyalty and solidarity with the rest of the partners in foreign policy. This is a devastating analysis for the Hungarian leader, although it is not the legal service that decides whether the rules have been violated and moreover the European Court of Justice has no powers in foreign policy, the Community source points out.

It is a political wake-up call, a sort of yellow card making it harder to visit, recognizes a high-ranking European source. But the movement leads to speculation that the Union will try to take some sort of retaliation or response, even if it is diplomatic, against the EU’s free verse and its biggest debater Orban. The visit of Putin, Xi – and a meeting with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country acted as mediator in spring 2022 – after the government of the country invaded by Russia demanded a ceasefire in Kiev, has caused a great concern and anger in the EU.

Brussels and the overwhelming majority of member states have accused Orban of playing a key role in the rotating presidency of the EU Council and of using that institution ambiguously in his alleged “peace mission” and in his communications about it. Hungary has asked the Community Club to launch a resolution to start negotiations to end Russia’s massive war against Ukraine, which is about to reach its 900th day.

In Washington, where he is attending the NATO summit, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Policy and Security, Josep Borrell, has made it clear that the only peace plan to be managed by the Union is the one put forward by President Zelensky. Furthermore, you cannot talk about Ukraine without Ukraine. Orbán has no European mandate to negotiate on behalf of the Twenty-Seven, as both Borrell and the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, have made clear. The German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, also stressed this Thursday that Orbán “does not represent the EU”, an opinion shared by the rest of the Member States. Nor does it have a mandate from Ukraine, which has stressed that only the US, China and the EU (as a whole) can talk about peace talks. The Hungarian leader assured that he only speaks on behalf of his country, that the visits he makes are bilateral and that he has not negotiated anything.

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Orban’s planned trip to Florida to see Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence marks another very controversial meeting for Europe, Bloomberg reports. The Hungarian, who like Trump has attacked the US, EU and NATO policy of supporting Ukraine and assured that this support only fuels war, is once again acting independently. And furthermore, he does so alongside one of the most critical leaders towards Ukraine and President Zelensky, with whom the Republican veteran has a historical dispute. When Trump was president, it was a call to the Ukrainian leader – in which he demanded that he launch a judicial investigation against Democrat and now President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, who had business in Ukraine – that motivated him in the first place Impeachment. Trump threatened Zelensky with cutting off aid to Ukraine, which was at the time fighting Russian-controlled troops in the Donbass region.

Orbán has started the European presidency with the motto “Let’s make Europe great again”, in a clear allusion to Trump’s well-known motto (“Let’s make America great again”). The Hungarian, who has an EU infraction procedure for violations of the rule of law and who is pursuing a policy against the rights of LGTBI people and the control of the media and civil organizations in Hungary, has good relations with Republicans, with whom he shares part of his populist and conservative discourse. The two even held a meeting last March that aroused concern in the White House.

The Hungarian leader supports Trump in his move to the White House. In a report sent to member states on his controversial trips to China and Russia, Orbán says he spoke to Xi about the US elections and told him, without mentioning the Republican, that a newly elected president would be a “quick and intense” start to peace talks with Ukraine, according to documents advanced by EL PAÍS. Russia and Ukraine believe they will hold a meeting (the first meeting in which both will participate) before the end of the year, the Hungarian explained. However, some sources suggest that Kiev wants to do it before the elections in the United States on November 5.

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