After meeting Zelensky in Kiev three days (2nd July 2024 - see my previous post), today (5th July 2024) Hungarian Prime Minister and current President of the European Council, Viktor Orban, visited Moscow with his foreign minister to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin, who welcomed Orban in this way:
Welcome to Moscow. I understand that you have arrived not only as our long-standing partner, but also as the President of the European Council. I hope we will have the opportunity to exchange ideas on building bilateral relations and, of course, talk about the prospects of developing the crisis in the Ukrainian direction.
He later added:
I know that you were in Kiev and came to us to discuss the situation. You probably know the content of my speech before the committee of the Russian Foreign Ministry. It sets out our positions regarding a possible peaceful solution. I am ready to discuss the details. I hope you will let me know your position, the position of European countries in this regard.
Orban stated:
The number of countries that can dialogue with both sides of the conflict is rapidly running out. Soon Hungary will be the only country in Europe that can talk to everyone. I would like to discuss with you a number of important issues and also to know your position on a number of important issues for Europe.
Thus the introductory talk. Telegram channel Geopolitics Live summarised the key statements in the following post:
❗️ Key statements from Putin and Orban after talks in Moscow
🇷🇺 Putin:
▪️ Ukraine does not allow the idea of a ceasefire because it would remove the pretext for extending martial law.
▪️ If Ukraine ends martial law, it will have to hold presidential elections. The chances of the current Ukrainian authorities winning are close to zero.
▪️ There should not be a truce or a pause for the additional armament of the Kiev regime; Moscow stands for a complete and final end to the conflict.
▪️ Russia insists on the complete withdrawal of all Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk People's Republic, Lugansk People's Republic, Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
▪️ It is important that even in the current difficult geopolitical situation, Moscow and Budapest continue their dialogue.
🇭🇺 Orban:
▪️ The positions of Russia and Ukraine are very far from each other, much needs to be done to bring the end of the conflict closer.
▪️ He said that he discussed with Putin the achievement of peace in Ukraine and the shortest path to this.
▪️ The conflict in Ukraine has begun to have an impact on the European economy and its competitiveness.
▪️ I heard what Putin thinks about the existing peace initiatives, the ceasefire and negotiations, the vision of Europe after the war.
▪️ He promised to continue his efforts to resolve the Ukrainian conflict.
Orban's visit to Moscow should be welcomed as a highly positive historical visit.
It is the first time that an EU Prime Minister has met Putin since the Outlaw US Empire forced the European servants to cut off all relations with Russia. This visit tells us one thing above all: that the Kremlin has no prejudices in meeting EU leaders and NATO members. Secondly, it proves once again that the first ones who do not want peace are people like Kaja Kallas, Ursula von der Leyen, Josep Borrell, Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Giorgia Meloni, since you make peace by talking to the other side, whereas those who do not (want to) talk, do not (want to) make agreements.
Although they tried to delegitimise Orban by saying that he does not represent the EU, that he goes his own way, at the moment, whether they like it or not, Orban is the President of the European Council. And that's what the people in Brussels don't like: to see Orban in just a few days meeting first Zelensky and then Putin and talking about peace. These developments blow up the whole narrative that they have tried to feed us on the Western mainstream media (MSM): that there cannot be any negotiation with Putin, because he is not willing to sit down at the table and talk about settlements.
Josep Borrell, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, even released the following statement (all emphasis mine):
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia.
Hungary is now the EU Member State serving the rotating presidency of the Council until 31 December 2024. That does not entail any external representation of the Union which is responsibility of the President of the European Council at the Head of State or Government level and of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy at Ministerial level.
Prime Minister Orbán has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow.The EU position on Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine is reflected in many European Council conclusions. That position excludes official contacts between the EU and President Putin. The Hungarian Prime Minister is thus not representing the EU in any form.
In addition, it is worth recalling that President Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court and an arrest warrant released for his role in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.
I am convinced that if we took a poll, the majority of European citizens would give Orban a mandate to talk to the Kremlin, if the aim was to end a war in the heart of Europe. I would be broadly in favour of sending someone, whoever they are on behalf of the European Union, to talk to Putin on the condition that the war is ended immediately. Instead, here the mandates to speak on behalf of the EU are only given to those who talk about sanctions, tanks, increased military spending and all-out war.
For these demented people, as Dmitry Medvedev would call them, peace has become heresy, pacifists are the first enemies, and those who still insist on reasoning with intellectual honesty a danger to be censured and silenced. And here is the totally distorted narrative that is manipulating public opinion quite dangerously: Orban was good when he gave the green light for Sweden and Finland to join NATO; Orban is bad and ugly today when he is trying to find an agreement between the warring parties. That is: if you stand for war you are good, if you stand for peace you are bad.
And since I mentioned Dmitry Medvedev, I will end up with the post he published on his Telegram channel today:
Stoltenberg hopes for Ukraine's membership in NATO by 2034. Well done! This is the answer of an honest man.
By 2034, none of the current NATO leaders will be left in their seats. Some of them will be retired or in the best of worlds / hell (choose the required). And the country 404 itself will not exist.
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UPDATE (06/07/2024): Just a minor update to add a few links on the same topic:
Karl Sanchez’s article with English translation of Orban’s and Putin’s initial speeches and their statements to the media after their private conversation,
Sending other people‘s kids to die in a war one is not willing to fight is dishonest
Why is the EU so desperate to keep this war going? Their reaction to Orban's visit to Russia is over the top.