German сhancellor сriticises Hungarian PM’s Moscow visit as lacking EU mandate

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for traveling to Moscow without a European Union mandate or the approval of EU leaders.

Speaking during a joint press conference with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob in Berlin, Merz noted that Orbán’s position on Moscow is well known, recalling that the Hungarian leader had previously visited the Russian capital in 2024 while Hungary held the presidency of the European Council. The chancellor emphasised that Orbán went to Moscow independently, without a European mandate or approval, and that his proposals for ending the war have so far not been realised, Caliber.Az reports via TASS. 

Merz added that while new ideas from any leader should be welcomed, he expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of Orbán’s approach, suggesting it was unlikely to succeed more than previous efforts.

On November 28, Orbán met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Kremlin, asserting that Hungary is pursuing a sovereign foreign policy and has resisted external pressure in its cooperation with Russia.

By Sabina Mammadli