Viktor Orbán is on a fast track: after visiting Kiev and Moscow, he was in Beijing and is going to Washington
Since Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) on July 1, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been roaming the world in the style of a “Mr. Europe†.
On July 2, he traveled to Kiev, where he met with the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in a meeting against the backdrop of the flags of Ukraine and the EU. Three days later, he traveled to Moscow for a meeting with Vladimir Putin, an initiative that led the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, to say that the Hungarian Prime Minister “has no mandate to dialogue with Russia on behalf of the EUâ€.
This Monday, Viktor Orbán was in China, on a self-proclaimed “Peace Mission 3.0†, as he wrote on the social network X, in which Beijing was the third stage of a journey that included the Russian conflict -Ukrainian at the center of the agenda and in which the Hungarian ruler positioned himself as a mediator.
“China is a fundamental power in creating the conditions for peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine. That’s why I came to meet President Xi in Beijing, just two months after his official visit to Budapest,” explained Orbán, on the same social network.
“China has actively promoted peace talks in its own way and encouraged and supported all efforts leading to a peaceful resolution of the crisis,†added the Chinese President, quoted by the Chinese news agency Xinhua.
Xi called on the international community to create conditions and provide support for the resumption of direct dialogue and negotiations between the two sides. “It is in the interest of all parties to seek a political solution through a rapid ceasefire.â€
Despite these appeals, China did not participate in the recent peace summit in Switzerland – led by Ukraine and to which Russia was not invited – preferring to promote its own peace plan, in conjunction with Brazil, which has already received support from Moscow.
Valentyn Ogirenko/Reuters
Similar to what happened during the visit to Moscow, the meeting between Orbáne Xi, held at the Diaoyutai State Guest House, in Beijing, had as a backdrop the flags of the two countries, and not the EU. .
Only in Kiev, Orbán acted with formal cover from the 27. As has already been stated by several European officials, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck highlighted, this Monday, that Orbá n went to China on his own and does not represent the EU.
Friends, friends, we do business
Orbána’s visit to Beijing took place just four days after the European Commission announced the imposition of tariffs of up to 37.6% on the import of electric cars manufactured in China. The measure is provisional, with the expectation that negotiations between Beijing and Brussels will continue and that a definitive decision will only be reached in October.
If several EU members want to reduce their economic dependence on the “factory of the world†that is China, Hungary is not one of them. According to Reuters news agency, while Beijing threatens to retaliate against Brussels’ measure, the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Peter Szijjarto, announced that Beijing and Budapest have negotiated an agreement on the relaunch of exports of pork and poultry to China.
During the meeting with Orbán, Xi Jinping recalled his visit to Hungary two months ago where “bilateral relations were elevated to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership†, writes the Xinhua agency. The Chinese man’s trip to Budapest was part of an unusual tour of Europe that took him to just three countries: France, Serbia and Hungary.
Then, Xi referred to Orbán as a “friend†of China and an asset to the development of the Belt and Road Initiative (also known as the New Silk Road).
On May 9, Viktor Orbán received Xi Jinping at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest
SZILARD KOSZTICSAK / AFP / GETTY IMAGES
These Sino-Hungarian meetings at the highest level give visibility to the growing importance that China means to Hungary as a trading partner. At the same time, they consecrate Hungary as a model for China of the diplomatic ties it wants to develop with Europe.
An inspiration called Trump
Next year, the EU and China will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations. Xi told Orbán that he hopes Hungary, as holder of the EU’s rotating presidency, will “play a positive role in promoting the sound and stable development of China-EU relations and facilitating It is about constructive interactions.
In a choice that provoked some controversy, the Hungarian EU presidency chose “Make Europe Great Again” as its slogan, in an unacknowledged adaptation of Donald’s electoral slogan Trump “Make America Great Again†in 2016.
Orbán’s admiration for Trump is known. In a coincidence that the Hungarian Prime Minister will not reject, it will be Hungary that will hold the EU presidency when the United States goes to vote and where Trump’s return to the White House was already a more distant possibility.
Precisely the United States is Viktor Orbán’s next stop, after his lightning visit to China. The Hungarian Prime Minister went to Washington where he is expected to attend the NATO Summit, which takes place between Tuesday and Thursday – Hungary has been a member of the Atlantic Alliance since 1999.
In Washington, military support for Ukraine is expected to be a central point of discussions. Orbán has refused to supply weapons to his Ukrainian neighbor, but has revealed diplomatic talent in the way he reaches out to all the important actors.
