Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán recently completed a series of foreign visits to Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, China, and the United States, which he dubbed a “peace mission” aimed at resolving Russia’s conflict with Ukraine. Orbán’s government has diverged from the majority of EU countries by abstaining from supplying weapons to Ukraine and threatening to block financial aid to the war-torn nation. This move has stirred disapproval from other EU leaders, who were not informed in advance of Orbán’s visits to Moscow and Beijing for talks with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, respectively.

In response to the backlash, Orbán’s political director, Balázs Orbán, who is not related to the prime minister, disclosed that Orbán had written to EU leaders to address the negotiations and outcomes of his recent peace mission, emphasizing the need for Europe to reassess its approach to achieving peace in Ukraine. While Hungary has advocated for an immediate cease-fire and peace talks in Ukraine, it remains vague about the implications for Ukraine’s territorial integrity and security. Critics of Orbán accuse him of prioritizing appeasement towards Russia over EU and NATO interests.

Orbán’s secret meetings with Putin and other leaders, including former U.S. President Donald Trump, have prompted some EU countries to consider boycotting or limiting participation in informal gatherings in Budapest related to Hungary’s EU presidency. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced that Sweden, Finland, and the Baltic nations would not attend such meetings this summer, and there are talks of a potential EU-wide boycott of a planned foreign ministers’ summit in Budapest in late August. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen cautioned against appeasement towards Russia, stressing the importance of unity and determination in achieving a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.