Germany says Hungarian premier not speaking on behalf of EU in Russia, China

By Oliver Towfigh Nia

BERLIN (AA) - Germany said on Monday that it does not see Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a negotiator on behalf of the European Union during his trip to Ukraine, Russia and China, which he himself called a "peace mission."

“The travel activity that we are seeing at the moment is what he is doing as Hungarian prime minister. All options are open to him, but not in the name of the EU or as EU Council president,” government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit told media representatives in Berlin.

EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell and EU Council President Charles Michel speak for the EU “and no one else,” he added.

Hungary took over the presidency of the EU Council, which rotates every six months, on July 1st.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Foreign Ministry said that her government expects every EU Council Presidency - not just the Hungarian one - to put national concerns aside in this role.

“National concerns should not be advanced in the name of the European Union,” deputy Foreign Ministry spokesperson Kathrin Deschauer said at a press briefing in the German capital.

The German Foreign Ministry was surprised to learn that Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had canceled a visit planned for today (Monday), added Deschauer. ​​​​​​​

After visits to Kyiv and Moscow, Orban met China's head of state and party leader Xi Jinping on a surprise visit to Beijing. Orban wrote in a post on X that China is a “key power” in creating conditions for peace in the war between Russia and Ukraine.​​​​​​​