World Judo Masters competition: Putin comes to Budapest?
Hungary believes in the power of fair competition and in the power of sports to connect people, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said, opening the World Judo Masters competition in Budapest on Saturday.
At the Masters, 419 athletes are competing from 59 countries, Gergely Gulyas told the opening. Budapest has become the capital of sports, he said, noting the UEFA European League Final it hosted in May, the World Judo Masters held now and the World Athletics Championships the city will host later this month for the first time.
In his address, Marius Vizer, president of the International Judo Federation (IJF), underscored that sports must be neutral and must unite nations. László Tóth, IJF’s vice president, welcomed Japan’s Imperial Highness Princess Tomohito of Mikasa who is attending the Budapest event. Princess Tomohito was appointed IJF Judo Ambassador in 2019. She has since then attended several major judo events and is attending the event in Budapest for the first time.
Putin coming to Budapest?
Budapest organized World Judo Championships in 2017. The President of Russia, Vladimir Putin, attended the opening ceremony then. Now there is no news he would come, but it would be strange since Hungary is a NATO member country. Despite cooperating with Russia on some questions (energy issues, ceasefire and peace promotion), such a visit would be outrageous in the eyes of Washington and Brussels.
If wanted war criminal Putin ever came to Budapest the optics would be so bad that whatever tiny credibility Hungary has left as an EU and NATO member would be utterly crushed. Orban would conclusively be written off as a Russian stooge. The question remains whether Orban and the Fidesz Party care enough anymore to keep whatever fig leaf remains to cover themselves. Moreover, it would end any remaining hope about Hungary and create huge alarm within Europe that Hungary is completely unreliable and is on the other side with Russia. Measures would be taken to much further isolate Hungary from the West. Disaster.
There are many war criminals who invaded many countries in the world and kill innocent people in the world. There should be equality not double standard.