9 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
US authorities have expressed “concern” about the visit to China on Monday by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and have maintained that it is “not constructive” in achieving a “just peace” in Ukraine, in the context of the invasion unleashed in February 2022 by Russia.
White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said at a press conference that Orbán’s move “certainly does not appear to be productive in terms of moving forward to achieve a just peace that (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelensky is working hard to achieve.” “It is concerning,” he said.
Kirby has not commented on the announcement by Hungarian Prime Minister Zoltan Kovacs’ spokesman that the United States will be the next stop on Orbán’s “peace mission.” Budapest has not yet given details of his agenda or the meetings he will hold in Washington.
Orbán travelled to China to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, a trip he described as part of a “peace mission” following his meetings last week with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky to discuss the war in Ukraine, shortly after Budapest assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union.
The EU’s High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, has repeatedly said in recent days – as have other senior officials in the bloc – that Orbán cannot act on behalf of the EU, statements that have been met with mocking responses from Budapest, although the Hungarian prime minister has acknowledged that he does not have a mandate from the bloc.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, Hungary has proven to be Moscow’s main ally within the EU, questioning the effectiveness of sanctions and slowing down the adoption of measures to support the Ukrainian authorities, although it has not actually overturned any initiative.
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