PM Viktor Orban was pursuing the country’s sovereign interests in speaking with President Vladimir Putin, Peter Szijjarto has said
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has defended Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s trip to Moscow on social media.
Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss Ukraine, trade, and energy supplies on Friday despite the EU’s diplomatic boycott of Russia.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Szijjarto dismissed criticism from what he called “European pro-war politicians.”
“We, Hungarians, do not need permission or a mandate from Brussels, Berlin, or anywhere else for any foreign talks. We pursue a sovereign foreign policy, and our decisions are determined by national interests – whether you like it in Brussels or not,” he wrote.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz earlier told reporters that Orban had traveled to Moscow “without a European mandate,” while Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob said the Hungarian leader “has not been playing for the European team for some time.”
Hungary has refused to solely blame Russia for the Ukraine conflict and has offered to help mediate a peace deal between Kiev and Moscow.
Orban has also refused to send weapons to Ukraine and warned that further escalation could lead to a direct clash between Russia and NATO.
During a meeting in the Kremlin, Putin thanked Orban for his “reasonable position on the Ukraine issue.”
Orban stressed that “stable deliveries from Russia remain the cornerstone of Hungary’s energy security – in the past, now, and in the future.”
