Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will not represent the European Union “in any form” during an expected trip to Russia, the EU’s top diplomat said Josep Borrell he said on Friday.
Orbán’s “visit to Moscow takes place exclusively within the framework of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia,” Borrell stressed in a scathing statement.
“Prime Minister Orbán has not received a mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow,” Borrell said, referring to the EU body representing the 27 EU member states.
Borrell stressed that although Budapest holds the rotating presidency of the EU, this does not give Orbán any official powers to represent the EU abroad.
This is the competence of the President of the European Council Karel Michel and with the bloc’s high representative, the position currently held by Borrell.
The top EU diplomat also noted that “Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court and an arrest warrant has been issued for his role in the forcible deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia.”