Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues his “peace mission” by visiting the most crucial planet capitals. After meetings in Kiev and Moscow, Orban goes to Beijing. This series of visits brings controversy and attention to global public opinion, peculiarly in the context of the Hungarian half-year presidency of the EU Council.
Visit to Kiev and Moscow
Hungary has held a six-month rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU since Monday. The day after taking the lead, Prime Minister Orban went to Kiev with a "peace mission", and 3 days later visited Moscow, which sparked criticism of Hungarian western allies.
In Kiev, Orban met with the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenski, to discuss a possible ceasefire and start peace talks. This was his first visit to Kiev since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
"At the minute I am the only Western leader who can hold talks simultaneously in Kiev and Moscow," Orban said. "All others have created a situation where they cannot communicate straight with 2 parties, especially the Russians," he added.
Peacekeeping Mission and Visits in Beijing
Orban stated that his “peace mission” is to learn the positions of the fighting parties and possible scenarios for ending the war in Ukraine. He announced that he was preparing a study on this subject for the members of the European Council, although he had previously acknowledged that there was no mandate to negociate on behalf of the EU.
After a visit to Moscow, Orban is on his way to Beijing, where he is scheduled to land on Monday morning – informed Hungarian portal 444.hu. The Chinese visit of the Prime Minister of Hungary fits into the context of his earlier gathering with China's leader Xi Jinping, which took place in Budapest in early May.
The Hungarian abroad Minister, Péter Szijártó, welcomed Robin Zeng, head of the CATL, a Chinese giant in the production of batteries for electrical cars in Budapest. In mid-2022, CATL announced that it would invest over €7.3 billion in the construction of a 100 GWh battery mill in Debrecen, east Hungary.
China and their Peace Plan
In February 2023, China presented its own 12-point peace plan for the war in Ukraine. Although Beijing did not send its representatives to the mid-June Swiss peace summit, he announced, together with Brazil, his own proposal for a peace conference.
"We will make all effort to avoid a trade war with China during our EU Council Presidency, as this would origin serious harm to Europe," said Shijjarto in a movie published on Facebook.
International reactions
Orban's visits to Moscow and Beijing are received with mixed feelings by Hungarian Western allies. Orban's gathering with Putin was prepared in secret, and information about him leaked only erstwhile he was asked to fly over Poland – Orban stated in an interview with “Die Weltwoche”.
Despite criticism, Orban maintains that he is the only Western leader to have the chance to talk to both sides of the conflict in Ukraine. "No substance how much I gotta pay politically in Brussels, I am trying to do something due to the fact that my country holds the Presidency of the Council of the EU and I am a individual who has the chance to talk to everyone," the head of the Hungarian Government pointed out.
Summary
Viktor Orban continues his mission to learn the position of the fighting parties in the war in Ukraine and research the anticipation of ending the conflict. His actions, though controversial, item Hungary's function in global negotiations and the drive to keep open communication channels with various planet powers. In the coming days, the eyes of the planet will be turned to Beijing, where Orban will meet with Chinese leaders, continuing his diplomatic mission.
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Orban continues his peace mission. After visiting Kiev and Moscow, time came for Beijing
