EU leaders to skip Orban meetings due to Russia, China ties

European Union officials have decided to boycott informal meetings hosted by Hungarian President Viktor Orban following his recent interactions with Russian and Chinese leaders. The European Commission president and other top officials made this unprecedented decision after Orban’s visits to various countries, including Russia and China, without prior notification to EU leaders.

Orban, who currently holds the EU presidency, has been on a world tour promoting peace initiatives and engaging in talks with countries involved in the Ukraine conflict. This move has caused concern among EU leaders, leading to the boycott of Hungarian-hosted meetings.

In response, Hungary’s Europe minister criticized the decision, stating that the EU cannot selectively choose which member states to cooperate with. However, the European Commission’s boycott applies to informal meetings hosted by Hungary, with senior civil servants attending in place of top officials such as the Commission president.

Orban’s actions, particularly his stance on providing weapons to Ukraine and his discussions with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, have raised tensions within the EU. The Hungarian government’s approach to the Ukraine conflict has been perceived as contradictory to the EU’s stance on Russia’s aggression.