Orbán Visits Putin in Moscow Without EU Mandate — Condemned by Allies

On July 5, 2024, just days into Hungary's EU Council presidency, Viktor Orbán flew to Moscow and met Russian President Vladimir Putin — the first EU leader to visit Moscow since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Orbán framed the trip as a 'peace mission' for Ukraine, but held no EU mandate to negotiate. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated Orbán was 'not entitled to speak on behalf of the EU.' France, Germany, Poland, and the Baltic states condemned the visit. Ukrainian President Zelenskyy called it 'a disaster for European unity.'