Hungary faces more criticism and boycotted meetings over Orbán’s visits to Russia and China

Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Some European Union leaders are protesting what they see as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s misuse of the bloc’s rotating presidency by boycotting a meeting hosted by Hungary. Officials are angry that Orbán, a nationalist populist who is seen as having the warmest ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin among EU leaders, made unannounced trips to Moscow and Beijing earlier this month on what he called a “peace mission” aimed at brokering an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. The trips led some leaders to accuse him of undermining EU unity on support for Ukraine. In response, some nations and the EU’s executive commission sent civil servants instead of top officials to a Tuesday meeting of energy ministers in Budapest.