EU Leaders Discussing Peace In Ukraine

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent reporting from Budapest, Hungary

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s prime minister says European Union leaders “have taken a big step towards a solution acceptable to all EU member states regarding the war in Ukraine.”

Viktor Orbán spoke Thursday on the sidelines of Hungary’s largest diplomatic gathering on record, bringing together some 47 heads of state and governments as well as other leaders in Budapest’s giant Puskás Aréna stadium.

Orbán stressed the “importance of a ceasefire as a first step” to ending Europe’s largest armed conflict since the Second World War.

He hopes that with Donald J. Trump soon, the White House peace forces in Europe could become a majority.

Brussels has condemned Orbán for visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin while Hungary holds the rotating EU presidency.

The prime minister, viewed as Putin’s closest ally within the EU, has denied using Hungary’s EU presidency to negotiate with Moscow.

Orbán, who several EU leaders have condemned for his perceived authoritarian style, urged more cooperation.

FOERCEST CRITICS

He faced his fiercest critics, including the EU’s European Council President Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, who also came to Budapest clearly uncomfortable shaking hands with him.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the former Orbán-condemning Dutch prime minister, was also in Hungary, as many European nations are members of the military club.

In his speech opening the summit, Orbán made clear that whatever their differences, they should all realize that “Europe is in a difficult, complicated and dangerous situation because of the Russian-Ukrainian war.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among those listening to Orbán, who refused to provide weapons to Ukraine. Zelenskyy indirectly questioned Orbán’s close ties with Putin.

At a separate press conference in Budapest, Zelenskyy said that those who “want Putin or want a ceasefire have never waged a war against him.”

Yet Zelenskyy acknowledged that during his recent visit to Kyiv, Orbán agreed to start “with a clean slate” with him.

And he thanked Hungary “for the great humanitarian support to Ukrainian refugees.”

NATO MEMBERSHIP

However, neither country has yet signed a bilateral agreement, as Hungary would stop Kyiv’s membership in the NATO military alliance. Hungary, a NATO member, could veto Kyiv’s entry.

Orbán, who also has close relations with Israel’s prime minister, warned leaders attending the summit that besides Ukraine, there looms “a threat of escalation in the Middle East.”

Additionally, he said that “conflicts in North Africa cause illegal migration that is once again approaching its peak in Europe.”

Orbán expressed concern that the global economy is heading “on fragmentation and blockages.”

Yet viewers may be forgiven for wondering whether relations have improved between Orbán and Zelenskyy: Hungarian state-run television and the prime minister’s live broadcast on his Facebook platform were cut off when the Ukrainian president started speaking.

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