“Plays into Putin’s hands”: EU ambassadors sharply criticize Orban’s “peaceful” trips – Europa Press

“Plays into Putin’s hands”: EU ambassadors sharply criticized Orban’s “peaceful” trips – Europa Press Yuliya Murina

The EU criticized Orban/Getty Images (illustrative photo)

At a meeting in Brussels on July 10, permanent representatives of EU member states sharply criticized Viktor Orban's trips to Russia and China. The Hungarian government was reprimanded for the fact that the prime minister damaged the unity of the European Union and violated the treaties.

The tense meeting lasted more than two hours. The ambassadors made it clear to the Hungarian representatives that they did not trust Budapest's explanations and saw Orban's actions as a violation of the rules. Various diplomatic sources told journalists about this.

EU ambassadors sharply criticized Orban

Only one delegation – Slovakia’s – avoided speaking. While other ambassadors expressed their anger over Orban’s series of trips.

A representative of Hungary claimed that Orban allegedly did not represent the EU’s position during his trips, and that EU rules allegedly “do not regulate” how a leader should notify other member states about his foreign trips.

However, the meeting did not end with any decisions being made. According to media reports, no specific countermeasures were discussed at the meeting. There was no talk of shortening Hungary's six-month EU Council presidency.

However, several member states are already considering boycotting the informal ministerial meetings that Hungary has planned to host.

Their actions serve neither the EU nor the world. They play into the hands of Putin and his military project, one European diplomat said after the ambassadors' meeting.

He also called the outcome of the debate “a yellow card for the Hungarian government.”