RTMon, 08 Jul 2024 03:15 UTC
© X / PM_ViktorOrban
The Chinese leader has welcomed the Hungarian prime minister to Beijing
Chinese President Xi Jinping has held a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is in Beijing on what he has dubbed a "peacekeeping mission," Xinhua reported on Monday morning.
"China is a key power in creating the conditions for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war. This is why I came to meet with President Xi in Beijing, just two months after his official visit to Budapest," Orban
wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
Details of the meeting have yet to be revealed, but it follows Orban's trips to Kiev and Moscow last week. The Hungarian prime minister called the Beijing trip a "peace mission 3.0" upon his arrival.
Orban embarked on an unannounced trip to Kiev last Tuesday, where he proposed a "quick ceasefire" to Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky. Orban then traveled to Moscow to discuss the "shortest way out" of the conflict with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Moscow's and Kiev's positions remain very "far apart," according to the Hungarian leader, who noted that Zelensky "didn't like" his proposals. Meanwhile, Putin reiterated Moscow's readiness to resolve the hostilities through negotiations, but said the Ukrainian leadership appears committed to waging war "until the end."
Orban's meeting with Putin angered some fellow EU leaders, while Kiev expressed fury that the Hungarian leader had traveled to Russia
"without approval or coordination with Ukraine."
Comment:
From the same source:
7 Jul, 2024 22:47
Orban makes surprise visit to China
The Hungarian PM has landed in Beijing following his visits to Kiev and Moscow last week
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in China as part of his "peace mission" tour, following meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev.
The Hungarian premier confirmed he is in China with a photo of Deputy Foreign Minister Hua Chunying greeting him at the airport and a brief post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning, saying: "Peace mission 3.0 Beijing."
News of a possible visit to Beijing was first reported by the Hungarian news portal 444, which wrote on Sunday that Orban was "scheduled to arrive in the Asian country at dawn on Monday."
Last week, Orban traveled to Kiev, where he met with Zelensky in an effort to persuade him to consider ceasefire talks with Moscow. The Hungarian PM then embarked on a surprise visit to Moscow, which, according to his office, was part of Orban's "peacekeeping mission."
Orban and Putin engaged in several hours of discussions aimed at finding the "shortest way out" of the conflict in Ukraine. The Hungarian leader, however, admitted that Moscow and Kiev remain "very far apart," noting that Zelensky "didn't like" his proposals much.
Orban's surprise trip to Russia drew criticism in Kiev and among fellow EU leaders, but the Hungarian PM stressed that "establishing contact" is crucial to resolving the conflict, and argued that he does not require an EU mandate to promote peace. Hungary, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency, is one of the few bloc members, alongside Slovakia, that maintains neutrality and refuses to send weapons to Ukraine.
The visit to Beijing comes after Hungary canceled "at short notice" a meeting between Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock.
See also:
NATO threatening global peace and stability - China
Editorial from Hungary's Orbán: The point of NATO is peace, not endless war
Orban's surprise visit to Moscow sparks fury in Brussels: Key takeaways from Hungarian PM's 'peace mission'
Orban visits Moscow: I don't need a mandate to promote peace
Orban urges Russia-Ukraine ceasefire during surprise visit to Kiev, as Hungary assumes EU-presidencyVictor Orban flies directly from China to the NATO Summit in Washington that is held 9 - 11 July. Here there is likely to be a lot of consternation from some members, perhaps also serious questions and attempts to blackmail him, but a few will likely admire his courage and initiative, like the PM of Slovakia:
Leader of EU state expresses 'admiration' for Orban's Moscow visit
...enjoying their lunch
.
[Link]
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after which, they'll take a relaxed stroll along the seafront. talk of good things, and stop for an ice cream.