Hungary has been stripped of the right to host the upcoming high-profile gathering of European Union foreign ministers, highlighting the latest conflict between the EU and Budapest over Hungary’s stance on the war in Ukraine. The decision, announced by Josep Borrell, the EU’s foreign policy chief, reflects growing tensions within the bloc regarding Hungary’s diplomatic relations and its position on the ongoing conflict.
Initially set to take place in Budapest as Hungary holds the rotating six-month EU presidency, the meeting of foreign and defense ministers will now be held in Brussels. Borrell explained that almost every EU foreign minister expressed criticism towards Hungary’s position on Ukraine during a recent meeting. This prompted the decision to move the gathering as a symbolic gesture signaling consequences for policies that oppose the EU’s collective stance.
“We have to send a signal, even if it is a symbolic signal, that being against the foreign policy of the European Union has to have some consequences,” Borrell stated. He emphasized that the move was not a boycott, assuring that Hungary would still participate fully in the meeting scheduled for late August.
The clash comes after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban embarked on a “peace mission” to Ukraine, Russia, and China earlier in July without EU endorsement. His subsequent remarks describing EU policy on Ukraine as “pro-war” have exacerbated tensions.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó criticized the decision, calling it “childish” and likening the debate to a “kindergarten-level” discussion. Despite these criticisms, the EU has maintained its stance, barring EU Commissioners from attending meetings in Hungary during its presidency.
Hungary, positioned on the EU’s eastern border, advocates for a cease-fire and negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine, contrary to the broader EU policy of bolstering Ukraine militarily prolonging it’s conflict with Russia. Budapest argues that Russia’s superior resources make the war unwinnable for Ukraine. In contrast, the EU and its allies, including NATO, support Ukraine.
Prime Minister Orban’s recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin further strained relations, with the EU condemning what it perceives as “appeasement” towards Russia. Orban, however, insists that a battlefield solution is unattainable and that a shift to a “pro-peace” policy is necessary.
“My job is to convince them to shift from the pro-war policy to a pro-peace policy,” Orban told CNBC, expressing his belief that negotiations and a ceasefire are the only viable solutions to the conflict.
The ongoing discord between Hungary and the EU over Ukraine underscores the complex and often contentious nature of foreign policy within the union, especially as it navigates the geopolitical challenges posed by the conflict.
