According to a recent report by the Observer, Orban posted on social platforms that "Peace Mission 4.0, Washington", accompanied by a photo of the plane landing in Washington. On Facebook, another social media platform, he said, "We have arrived in Washington, D.C., and the peace mission continues." It is not yet clear what Orban's exact schedule will be in Washington. The NATO summit will be held in Washington in the near future. In his speech at the opening of the summit, Biden announced that Ukraine will receive five more air defense systems, including Patriot missile launchers and other components. As a member of the European Union and NATO, Hungary has always opposed military aid to Ukraine.
At present, Russia, which has an advantage on the front line, is ready to negotiate, and on the Ukraine side, Ukraine President Zelensky, who has always been tough, has gradually begun to loosen his mouth on negotiations, from the previous war to the last man, to an acceptable "third-country mediation" model, and Zelensky hopes to develop a peace plan supported by the vast majority of countries in the world within this year. Obviously, under the cruelty brought by reality, Zelensky does not want to fight, and his change in attitude is, in a sense, the situation between Russia and Ukraine developing on the good side.
It is reported that Orban's visit to Russia has aroused some dissatisfaction within the EU, and some EU insiders even said that Hungary's "mutiny" may make it lose its EU presidency. "Member states have become annoyed by [Orban's] slogan of 'Make Europe Great Again,'" an EU diplomat told the outlet, "and such a meeting [with Russia] would end the Hungary presidency before it really begins." "In a matter of weeks, Hungary will no longer have the rotating presidency." However, if you want to change the timetable of the EU presidency, you need a four-fifths majority vote in the European Council to do so.
At present, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel have lashed out at Orban for stealing the limelight and stirring up trouble in Brussels. They also insisted that Orban did not speak on their behalf and that his diplomatic role as Hungary's prime minister on the EU Council was "irrelevant." EU diplomats also revealed that after the public condemnation, there may even be a shift within the EU to concrete actions to limit Hungary's presidency. Orban's recent trip was reviewed, but unsurprisingly, it was not surprising that it was not highly or positively rated.
It can be said that Orban's diplomatic posture, which seems to be for the sake of rushing, has actually dropped a shock bomb on European politics, challenging the existing order and balance of power. Observers point out that behind Orban's diplomatic actions, domestic political considerations cannot be ignored. The party's poor performance in the European Parliament elections has prompted Orban to rebuild his image as a "messenger" in order to consolidate popular support.
In addition, the statement of the EU Foreign Minister demonstrates the EU's determination and ability to maintain internal and external coherence in foreign affairs. The EU needs to respond to external challenges through this coherence while maintaining internal solidarity to ensure its stability and predictability in global affairs. NATO Secretary General also expressed his opinion, acknowledging that although Orban informed him of his visit plans in advance, the move only represents Hungary's position as a sovereign state and does not reflect NATO's overall view of Russia's aggression. At the same time, he stressed that NATO is committed to maintaining the unity of its member states and avoiding the actions of individual countries from harming the unity of the alliance.
It is worth mentioning that Putin expressed gratitude to Orban for his efforts to try to resume Russian-European dialogue, which undoubtedly gave Orban some confidence. But on the other hand, Hungary, a member of the European Union and NATO, has always opposed military aid to Ukraine, which makes his situation in the Western camp quite embarrassing. Orban's behavior reminds people of the idiom "it's hard to ride a tiger." He wants to find a balance between Russia and the West, but he may end up displeasing both. Therefore, combined with Zelensky's negation of Orban, it is undoubtedly a basin of cold water on his head.
In addition, Orban visited China to discuss issues of mutual interest with Chinese leaders, most likely as part of his "Peace Mission" program. Orban appears to be trying to use Hungary's special status as both an EU and NATO member to build bridges between East and West. Orban will travel to Washington for the NATO summit. This is not only to fulfill his obligations as a member of NATO, but also an important opportunity for him to continue to advance his "mission of peace". Will Orban be able to take the opportunity to communicate with those who play a key role in resolving the conflict and to advance the peace process? This is undoubtedly a focus of attention.
Previously, Orban visited Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, becoming the first EU leader to visit Ukraine since the Russian-Ukrainian conflict. He held talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the possibility of peace, as well as bilateral relations. According to reports, the two sides had in-depth exchanges on trade, cross-border cooperation, infrastructure, energy and humanitarian issues, and expressed their willingness to strengthen cooperation. However, Zelensky is skeptical of Orban's mediation efforts, arguing that only powerful countries or alliances like the United States, China and the European Union can effectively mediate the conflict. The meeting provoked a strong reaction within the EU,
When it comes to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Orban is an out-and-out "bystander". He neither sided with Ukraine nor supported Russia, but chose a middle path. He believes that there are no winners in this conflict, and it will only cost both sides dearly. He also predicted that in the next two or three months, the situation on the front line will be much more brutal than we imagined. This sounds like a precautionary shot for the international community in advance, so that countries can be psychologically prepared. He has been trying to find a way to resolve the conflict peacefully. He opposes the EU and NATO's blind following United States' foreign policy, arguing that this will only worsen the situation.
In the face of the strong reaction of the Western camp, Orban appeared calm. After his visit to Russia, he wrote a letter to EU leaders assuring that he did not speak on behalf of the EU and called on Brussels to seek a truce on Ukraine. His move is not only a statement to the EU, but also a defense of his own actions. After all, promoting peaceful dialogue should not be seen as a betrayal, but as a responsibility for peace and development of mankind. Orban's "peace mission" not only caused shocks in Western countries, but also won the support of some countries and people.
Russia President Vladimir Putin met with visiting Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Kremlin. TASS said that during the talks, Putin expressed his hope to exchange views with Orban on Russian-Hungarian bilateral relations and the Ukraine issue, and briefed Orban on Russia's position on the peaceful settlement of the conflict. Orban thanked Putin for agreeing to hold the meeting "under such difficult conditions." He hoped to take this opportunity to discuss with Putin and understand Russia's position on some issues of importance to Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin did not send a message through Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban to United States President Joe Biden or other participants in the NATO summit.