BREAKING: PM Orbán in Kyiv for talks with President Zelensky – a step towards peace?

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán assumed the European Union Council’s rotating presidency yesterday, making his first official foreign visit to Kyiv. According to insiders, Orbán is scheduled to meet President Zelensky to discuss peace and the situation of Hungarians living in Transcarpathia, Ukraine’s westernmost region.

Orbán and Zelensky’s previous discussions

PM Viktor Orbán has been a vocal critic of Zelensky and his regime. He has repeatedly condemned European and NATO arms deliveries and delayed approval of a EUR 50 billion aid package for Ukraine.

Last week, the EU initiated membership talks with Ukraine, and Orbán met Zelensky at one of the forums to negotiate privately. It is likely they agreed to meet this week after Hungary took over the EU presidency, with peace being one of Budapest’s primary objectives.

According to 444.hu, PM Orbán has already arrived in Kyiv. Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s press chief, stated that peace-making would be the primary topic of discussion. However, the leaders will also address Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations.

The Financial Times reports that this is Orbán’s first trip to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. Insiders reveal that the two leaders spoke at last week’s EU summit in Brussels.

Putin’s closest ally?

Reuters described Orbán as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally among EU leaders. The Guardian referred to Orbán’s visit as a surprise. A Ukrainian source mentioned that there could be last-minute changes to the visit. A source in Budapest confirmed to The Guardian that the rights of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia would be a significant topic of discussion.

Yesterday, Zelensky congratulated Hungary on assuming the EU presidency:

Congratulations to Hungary on taking over the Presidency of the EU. I wish @HU24EU effectiveness in promoting our shared European values, goals, and interests. While advancing on its path to the EU, Ukraine is ready to contribute to these efforts and strengthen our Europe.

— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) July 1, 2024

The source mentioned that “It was a precondition for the meeting that the issue of nationality rights was resolved,” adding that “in recent weeks, an agreement has been reached. They will be able to announce this as a success.”

Orbán’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, has visited Ukraine and met top Ukrainian officials several times. Szijjártó stated that Orbán’s visit would only occur when a significant announcement could be made. It appears that time has come.

Trump’s potential ceasefire

On Monday, Orbán stated in an interview with Hungarian public television that Hungary’s EU presidency offers a chance to “bring Europe closer to peace.” Following the attainment of the rotating EU presidency from Belgium in Brussels earlier in the day, Orbán emphasised that the war in Ukraine was currently the greatest challenge for Europe, but “if we are thinking about the future of Europe, we cannot overlook America”.

Referring to US presidential candidate Donald Trump’s pledge to end the Russia-Ukraine war, Orbán said a “Trump victory would at least result in a ceasefire”.

Orbán highlighted the need for Europe to be prepared as “sooner or later the Americans and the Russians will hold talks.” He added that the most critical questions would be Europe’s position in these talks and whose interests would be promoted.

Hungary cannot answer those questions, Orbán said, adding that as holder of the EU presidency, however, “it will table proposals and support the decisions of the 27 leaders”. “We will be present at all locations of importance for Europe, look at every situation and present reports to Europe’s leaders,” he stressed.

“Make Europe Great Again” – the Hungarian Presidency’s unpopular motto

When asked about European leaders’ reactions to the Hungarian presidency’s motto, “Make Europe Great Again,” Orbán mentioned that European leaders had “accepted” it. He argued that Europe, like the US, should strive to be a global political player.

Orbán stated that Hungary’s diplomacy was “open and straightforward” and that it would “call a spade a spade” in European debates. He added that the Hungarian presidency would “lend momentum and do good to Europe” by candidly addressing the most difficult questions “without trying to influence decision-makers.”

Orbán also remarked that the Hungarian presidency would not engage in the “common practice” of addressing issues in a confusing, time-consuming way “in the Brussels bubble’s own bureaucratic approach,” or of not addressing them at all.

Orbán added that Hungary “knows its place in the world, its strengths, and its faults”, and would contribute to European values over the next six months. “There will be surprising developments,” he said.

Regarding illegal migration, the Prime Minister stated that the EU’s migration pact was not working and that the bloc needed to move on from it.

Orbán recommended that Brussels should not penalise Hungary for its refusal to accept migrants, suggesting instead that the EU and other capitals adopt Hungary’s migration policy. “Everything would suddenly become simpler,” he added.

Migration and trade war

Addressing the Hungarian presidency’s aim of boosting Europe’s competitiveness, Orbán said it had been a mistake to introduce “big international taxes”. “Taxes are detrimental, and stimulating the economy requires supporting economic players,” he said.

He mentioned that Hungary planned to revise measures “purported to protect certain industries, particularly the automotive sector, from Eastern industries”. He explained that during preparations for the presidency, he had spoken with major car manufacturers’ leaders, who indicated they did not support such measures as they would lose much more “when the Easterners retaliate”.

Orbán warned that the EU was on the brink of a trade war with the East, which it was likely to lose.

The Prime Minister also highlighted the need to “radically rethink and reshape” the EU’s green energy policy, arguing that in recent years it had led to increased coal usage in Europe while energy prices had doubled or even tripled.

Orbán stated that Hungary planned to advance 120 legislative dossiers during its presidency. Additionally, approximately 1,500 Council working group meetings will be held, along with 37 high-level meetings and 230 events connected to the presidency. EU leaders will hold 27 summits, and the summit of the European Political Community, comprising 47 European heads of government and state, will also take place in Budapest, he added.

European voters wanted change

Orbán noted that voters in the European Parliament elections had opted for change, insisting that parties from 20 out of 27 countries, which had declared “things cannot go on like this in Brussels”, had “won”. He criticised the Belgian Prime Minister and the French government for not recognising the prevailing sentiment, adding that “the situation is precarious” in Germany.

Referring to Patriots for Europe, a new European party alliance he recently formed with Czech and Austrian right-wing parties, Orbán said change would occur as it became increasingly evident that it was needed. He stated that the new grouping promoted peace, order, security, and development, and would grow into “a large parliamentary group faster than expected”, adding that “many people will be surprised in 4-5 days’ time”.

The group’s inaugural meeting will be held on 8 July, he said, adding that alongside Portugal’s Chega, which has already announced its plan to join, “an Italian party will also join soon”. Orbán predicted the group would “quickly become the third and then the second largest” formation in Brussels. “We are the ones who want a better Europe,” he said, adding that the group’s members were “patriots who passionately love their own countries but also consider Europe important”. “They want strong European cooperation, not against Europe, but for their own countries,” Orbán said.

Von der Leyen’s performance was quite meagre

Referring to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Orbán described her performance over the past five years as “quite meagre” regarding significant issues such as the war in Ukraine, migration, and the green transition. He also accused the Commission of launching political attacks against Hungary under the guise of rule-of-law procedures, indicating he would not support her renomination.

He also criticised Manfred Weber, the leader of the European People’s Party, as a “known Hungarophobe”, suggesting that von der Leyen had been marginally preferable to a putative Weber presidency five years ago.

Regarding Antonio Costa, the candidate to chair the European Council, Orbán said Costa had “always been on good terms” with Hungary. Meanwhile, commenting on Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, nominated as the EU’s foreign policy chief, he said he had abstained from supporting her as he was unconvinced she could handle the job, “and besides, Estonia is strongly pro-war”.

Orbán said it had not been wise to exclude Italy, a founding EU state, from the negotiations on top positions, adding that “the Italians are rightly outraged”.

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