- Stay updated on the latest news from Hungary by signing up for the free InsightHungary newsletter
Hungarian PM sends letter to EU leaders that Trump would end Ukraine war - President of EU council debunks his claims
Donald Trump will swiftly push for peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if he wins the upcoming US presidential election, according to Hungary’s far-right prime minister Viktor Orbá, the Financial Times reported this week.
Orbán suggests the EU could rekindle direct diplomatic channels with Russia and initiate "high-level" negotiations with China to seek a peaceful resolution to the Ukraine conflict. The Hungarian prime minister stated this in a confidential letter to EU leaders, following visits to Moscow and Beijing.
In the letter, Orbán claimed that his recent dialogues with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated a shared concern: “The intensity of the military conflict will radically escalate soon.”
Charles Michael, President of the EU council responded to Orban's letter, saying: "Without Ukraine, we cannot talk about Ukraine. The EU has consistently sought to mobilise support for a comprehensive peace, in line with the main principles and objectives of the Ukrainian peace formula. The EU has spared no effort to reach out to all its partners, including China, in this regard.
Michel underlines that the EU's position on Ukraine was adopted by consensus by the European Council of Heads of State and Government. "In it, we reiterated our unwavering commitment to support Ukraine and its people for as long as necessary and as intensively as needed. We have provided support to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia's war and to defend the security of Europe".
Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden won't send senior-level ministers to EU meetings in Budapest
In recent weeks, more and more countries have started to withdraw from informal EU meetings in Budapest in a symbolic protest. The move could constrain Hungary's ability to advance its political goals in several areas. A series of informal meetings are being held in Budapest this month on issues ranging from saving the planet to EU funding.
So far on Tuesday, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, and Sweden have confirmed to Politico that they will not send their senior-level ministers to the Budapest meetings, but Latvia and Slovenia are also considering the same move.
"Member states have considerably lowered their level of participation," said a senior European diplomat, granted anonymity to speak frankly about the standoff. "Hungary should not have been allowed to assume the role of the presidency."
Szijjártó and Lavrov held talks again on Paks expansion
Minister of Foreign Affairs Szijjártó held talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov in New York on Tuesday, during which the two sides discussed the war in Ukraine and bilateral cooperation, 444 reports. Szijjarto said that the talks also touched on bilateral cooperation, including the Paks expansion, which he will discuss with Alexei Likhachev, CEO of the Russian nuclear company Rosatom, in Istanbul on Wednesday because of an "interesting development".
He recalled that although Rosatom is the main contractor, American, German, and French companies are also working on the project. "If American, French, German, and Russian companies can cooperate on a nuclear project, this could be possible for other projects in the future," he underlined.
The minister also touched on the issue of Hungary's gas and oil supply, pointing out that there are still no problems with the former, but that Lukoil is currently not supplying Hungary via Ukraine, but is looking for a solution to restart transit.
Karacsony remains Budapest mayor after recount
After a recount of all valid mayoral votes, Gergely Karácsony has remained the winner of the Budapest mayoral election, securing 293 votes more than his closest rival, Dávid Vitézy, Hungarian state news agency, MTI reports.
The journey to this outcome took over a month, following the election held on 9 June. Both candidates had lodged numerous legal challenges and complaints regarding the electoral process.
Before the official confirmation by the National Election Committee on Friday, Vitézy had already conceded defeat and extended his best wishes to Karácsony in his upcoming role as the mayor of Hungary's capital.