EU finds way to punish Orban for Moscow trip – Politico

The bloc’s foreign ministers reportedly plan to snub a high-profile summit in Budapest

European Union leaders are planning to boycott a Hungarian-organized foreign affairs summit, due to take place on August 28-29, Politico reported on Sunday, citing three EU diplomats.

Instead, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is reportedly considering holding a “formal” foreign affairs council at the same time, to prevent foreign ministers from attending the event hosted by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

According to Politico, the move was informally discussed with several members, including Germany and France, and was prompted by Orban’s recent visit to Moscow, which was condemned by other EU politicians.

“If there’s a formal foreign affairs council, organized by the high representative [Borrell] the same day, the ministers won’t be able to go to Budapest,” an unnamed EU diplomat told Politico.

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Another anonymous source added that the foreign ministers wanted to “send a clear signal that Hungary does not speak for the EU.” Snubbing the event in Budapest is “intended to take the wind out of Orban’s sails,” Politico wrote.

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Hungary, which took up the European Council’s rotating presidency this month, is one of the only members to criticize the EU’s stance on the conflict in Ukraine, and has refused to send weapons to Kiev. Orban has also stalled financial aid to Ukraine and repeatedly warned that neither his country nor the European bloc as a whole should be dragged into a war with Russia.

Orban traveled to Kiev, Moscow and Beijing in early July, arguing that his “peace mission” was an attempt to help mediate the end to the fighting between Russia and Ukraine. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who has been nominated to replace Borrell as the EU’s top diplomat, reacted to the visits by accusing Orban of “exploiting the EU presidency position to sow confusion.”

Hungary had strained relations with Brussels even before the conflict in Ukraine broke out, as the EU has been accusing its conservative government of eroding the rule of law at home. Orban, however, insisted that bureaucrats in Brussels were attempting to impose their will on Budapest and trample on its sovereignty.