In a move that has raised eyebrows among EU leaders, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Friday, just days after visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv. The trip comes as Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, and has been condemned by Ukraine and other EU leaders. Orbán has been Putin's greatest ally in Europe, campaigning for a ceasefire instead of military support for Ukraine. During their meeting, Putin told Orbán that he was ready to bypass certain “nuances” of peace proposals to address the war in Ukraine, but reiterated Russia's readiness to negotiate based on earlier terms. These terms would be unacceptable for Ukraine and its western allies, with Ukraine insisting that any peace deal must include the return of its pre-2014 territory. Orbán has not addressed Putin's demands, which also include withdrawal of troops from certain regions and dropping aspirations to join NATO. Hungary's foreign minister Peter Szijjarto has said that the country is working on a peacekeeping mission, with further meetings expected in the coming week. The Ukrainian foreign ministry criticised Orbán's visit to Moscow, stating it was made without consent or coordination with Ukraine and reminded of the principle of “no discussions about Ukraine without Ukraine”.
