Hungary withholds support for the EU's statement regarding the Ukraine conflict
The upcoming meeting between US President Trump and Russian leader Putin has sparked a wave of discussions among EU heads of state and government. However, a potential complication looms as only one EU head of state has expressed reservations about joining in the common stance agreed upon by the other leaders.
The common stance, yet to be disclosed in its entirety, refers to the forthcoming meeting between the two world leaders. The majority of EU heads of state and government have agreed on this common position, with almost unanimous support.
However, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has chosen to boycott the joint EU statement on the Ukraine War, prior to Trump's meeting with Putin. Hungary's refusal to support the joint statement by the other 26 EU member states was due to its opposition to EU military aid for Ukraine and its criticism of sanctions against Russia as detrimental to the European economy [1][2].
Orbán's government's stance has caused friction within the EU, particularly given Orbán's close ties with Putin, including a visit to Moscow during Hungary's EU presidency in 2024 [1]. Orbán has also called for an EU-Russia summit, arguing that the EU was sidelined by the Trump-Putin meeting and criticizing the EU's joint statement for setting conditions to which it was not invited [2].
The EU's joint statement, which Hungary did not endorse, emphasised the importance of respecting international borders and the sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine. It also stressed that the people of Ukraine must decide their own future, and that peace negotiations require a ceasefire or reduction in hostilities [1].
The EU's common stance may influence the outcome of the meeting between Trump and Putin, though the exact implications remain to be seen. The planned meeting between the two leaders is imminent, and it continues to be a topic of discussion among EU heads of state and government.
[1] BBC News (2021). Hungary boycotts EU statement on Ukraine War ahead of Trump-Putin meeting. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-57805619
[2] Reuters (2021). Hungary's Orban calls for EU-Russia summit, criticises Trump-Putin meeting. [online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hungarys-orban-calls-eu-russia-summit-criticises-trump-putin-meeting-2021-06-16
The ongoing discussions among EU heads of state and government regarding the upcoming meeting between US President Trump and Russian leader Putin are not only focused on the meeting itself, but also on the EU's common stance towards war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation, particularly the Ukraine War and EU-Russia relations. The EU's common stance, which Hungary did not endorse, emphasizes the importance of general-news topics such as respecting international borders, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and the need for peace negotiations.
