Orban Makes Unexpected Trip to China

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in China as part of his "peace mission" tour, following recent meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev.

Orban confirmed his presence in China with a photo showing Deputy Foreign Minister Hua Chunying greeting him at the airport, accompanied by a brief post on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning, stating: "Peace mission 3.0 Beijing."

Reports of a potential visit to Beijing were initially revealed by Hungarian news portal 444, which announced on Sunday that Orban was expected to arrive in the Asian country early Monday morning.

Last week, Orban traveled to Kiev for discussions with Zelensky, aiming to encourage considerations for ceasefire talks with Moscow. Subsequently, the Hungarian PM made an unexpected trip to Moscow as part of what his office described as a "peacekeeping mission."

During his time in Moscow, Orban engaged in extensive discussions with Putin, focusing on finding expedient solutions to the conflict in Ukraine. Despite efforts, Orban acknowledged significant disagreements between Moscow and Kiev, noting that Zelensky was not entirely supportive of his proposals.

Orban's surprise visit to Russia sparked criticism from Kiev and fellow EU leaders. However, the Hungarian PM emphasized the importance of establishing dialogue in resolving conflicts and argued that he does not require EU authorization to pursue peace initiatives. Hungary, currently holding the rotating EU presidency, is among a minority of EU members, including Slovakia, maintaining neutrality by refraining from supplying weapons to Ukraine.

The visit to Beijing follows Hungary's last-minute cancellation of a scheduled meeting between Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his German counterpart, Annalena Baerbock.