Even earlier than Orban’s airplane touched down Friday, the journey drew sharp disavowals from Brussels.
Josep Borrell, the E.U.’s prime diplomat, preemptively famous that the Hungarian chief’s journey is just not official E.U. enterprise and “takes place solely within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.”
However with Hungary now holding the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, the journey represented a diplomatic triumph for Putin, who has repeatedly accused NATO nations, significantly the USA, of prolonging the battle he began. Putin has additionally blamed them for not forcing Ukraine to barter a give up of territory that Russia has seized by drive.
Greeting Orban on the Kremlin, Putin instantly harassed his visitor’s management position within the E.U.
“‘Welcome to Moscow, to Russia.” Putin mentioned. “I perceive that you’ve come this time not solely as our long-standing accomplice, but in addition because the president of the European Council. I hope we may have the chance to alternate concepts on constructing bilateral relations on this troublesome scenario and, in fact, to speak concerning the prospects for the event of the most important European disaster, I imply, on the Ukrainian observe.”
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In a three-hour-long assembly behind closed doorways, the 2 leaders mentioned “the shortest path to peace,” Orban mentioned after the talks, in response to Russian state media. From Moscow’s perspective, that path sometimes means Ukraine ought to capitulate to Russia’s calls for to annex about one-fifth of Ukraine’s sovereign territory.
Putin on Friday rehashed his calls for for ceasing hostilities, together with Ukraine’s give up of that territory, one thing that Ukrainian officers repeatedly deemed a non-starter. The Russian chief additionally took up a brand new line of assault, claiming that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is “reluctant” to cease combating as a result of it could drive the nation to finish martial legislation and maintain presidential elections.
“For the authorities who’ve misplaced their scores and legitimacy, the possibilities of successful them are near zero,” Putin mentioned. He provided no proof to help his evaluation of Ukrainian home politics. Latest polling has steered that Ukrainians broadly help the battle effort and oppose giving in to Russia’s calls for — with practically 75 p.c believing that Ukraine will finally reach liberating its territories.
Orban mentioned his assembly with Putin befell “at a time when Europe actually wants peace,” which “won’t come by itself.”
Talking Thursday at a gathering of the Shanghai Cooperation Group in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, Putin steered resuming negotiations that befell in Istanbul in 2022 shortly after Russia’s invasion when Ukraine was in a perilously weak place.
These talks broke down after Russian forces retreated from their try to seize Kyiv, forsaking proof of atrocities towards Ukrainian troopers and civilians in Bucha, Irpin and different suburbs of the Ukrainian capital. Putin on Thursday accused Britain and the USA of directing Ukraine to finish the negotiations — a cost that U.S. and British officers deny.
The six-month rotating presidency of the Council of the E.U. sometimes entails convening conferences and overseeing legislative trivialities in Brussels, not shuttling between overseas capitals at battle. However Orban, a right-wing chief who prides himself as a proponent of “intolerant democracy” and has lengthy clashed with different European leaders, is clearly intent on utilizing the position as a platform.
Orban has repeatedly damaged with different E.U. and NATO leaders by calling on Ukraine to contemplate making concessions to Russia, and he has refused to permit donated weapons to be transferred to Ukraine by Hungary, which shares a protracted border with Ukraine. Orban additionally has repeatedly slow-rolled the E.U.’s efforts to assist Kyiv and advance Ukraine’s software to hitch the bloc.
A spokesperson for Orban described Friday’s journey as a “peace mission” however didn’t provide different particulars on his function or plans.
Earlier Friday, Orban sought to justify his journey, writing on X that you simply “can not make peace from a snug armchair in Brussels.”
“Even when the rotating EU-Presidency has no mandate to barter on behalf of the E.U., we can not sit again and look forward to the battle to miraculously finish,” he wrote. “We’ll function an essential software in making the primary steps towards peace.”
Borrell, in his assertion, harassed that Orban couldn’t communicate for the E.U.’s 26 different member nations. “The E.U. place on Russia’s battle of aggression towards Ukraine is mirrored in lots of European Council conclusions,” he mentioned. “That place excludes official contacts between the E.U. and President Putin. The Hungarian Prime Minister is thus not representing the E.U. in any kind.”
When Orban visited Zelensky in Kyiv on Tuesday, there have been no such clarifications. As a substitute, the E.U. flag was positioned prominently behind him together with the Hungarian and Ukrainian flags.
Throughout the go to in Kyiv, Orban steered that Ukraine ought to comply with a cease-fire with Russia as a part of an effort to start negotiations to finish the combating.
Zelensky has put ahead a 10-point peace plan that doesn’t embrace agreeing to a cessation of hostilities whereas Russian troops are nonetheless occupying Ukraine.
The cease-fire proposal that Orban pitched would go away Moscow in command of roughly one-fifth of Ukraine, doubtlessly giving Moscow an opportunity to rearm and renew its efforts to grab extra territory. Russia first invaded and illegally annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Eight years later, in February 2022, Putin launched a full-scale invasion in search of to seize Kyiv.
Numerous European officers and leaders have dismissed the notion that Orban can play peacemaker, significantly on behalf of the E.U.
“The European Council is obvious,” Charles Michel, president of the European Council, posted Thursday. “Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the sufferer. No discussions about Ukraine can happen with out Ukraine.”
Orban, after assembly with Putin, acknowledged the troublesome of reaching a peace deal “We have to work for it,” he mentioned. “The positions are far aside.”
Ilyushina reported from Berlin. Serhii Korolchuk in Kyiv and Kate Brady in Berlin contributed to this report.
