Orban urges EU to hold talks with Moscow, opposes bloc-Kiev accord
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Hungary has voiced its opposition to a unified EU position on security guarantees and arms deals with Ukraine, saying talks with Russia are what is needed.
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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban speaks during his annual international press conference in Budapest, Hungary, on December 21, 2024. (AP)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called on the European Union on Saturday to initiate direct negotiations with Moscow to bring an end to the war in Ukraine and declared his opposition to a bloc-wide agreement on the conflict, according to a letter obtained by AFP.
The request from the pro-Russia Hungarian leader—who has frequently obstructed EU measures aimed at supporting Kiev—came a day after a tense standoff between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which left uncertainty hanging over Ukraine’s future.
Despite the dispute, Zelensky reaffirmed the importance of US backing on Saturday, stressing that maintaining US support remains crucial. "It's crucial for us to have President Trump's support. He wants to end the war, but no one wants peace more than we do," he posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Meanwhile, Orban wrote to Antonio Costa, the president of the EU Council representing its 27 member states, saying "I am convinced that the European Union -- following the example of the United States -- should enter into direct discussions with Russia on a ceasefire and a sustainable peace in Ukraine."
Orban, who has maintained a close relationship with Trump’s administration, took a different stance from other European leaders in response to Friday’s dramatic events in Washington, where Zelensky was removed from the White House.
While most European leaders rushed to reaffirm their support for Ukraine, Orban praised Trump’s actions, stating that he had taken a stance "bravely for peace" when challenging the Ukrainian president’s skepticism over Washington’s outreach to Moscow.
Hungary strays away from the flock
This comes as the EU struggles to maintain a unified stance since Trump bypassed Kiev and its European allies by opening direct negotiations with Russia to end the three-year conflict.
A special EU summit in Brussels on Thursday will address potential European "security guarantees" for Kiev and discuss an agreement on a new arms package.
However, in his letter, Orban made it clear that Hungary would not back a unified EU position on either issue, as outlined in draft conclusions circulated among diplomats earlier in the week.
"It has become evident that there are strategic differences in our approach to Ukraine that cannot be bridged by drafting or communication," he wrote.
Instead, Orban urged Costa to seek EU endorsement of a United Nations Security Council resolution passed this week with backing from both the US and Russia.
It is noteworthy that Zelensky is set to attend the Brussels summit, following emergency discussions with European leaders and NATO’s secretary general in London over the weekend.
Read more: Slovakia calls on EU to pressure Ukraine to resume Russian gas transit
