The EU is putting new pressure on Hungary’s Orban over his outreach to Russia

Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The EU’s top diplomat says Hungary won’t be allowed to host a strategic EU meeting next month. That’s because of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s surprise, self-proclaimed “peace mission” trips to Moscow and Beijing aimed at brokering an end to the war in Ukraine. EU partners overwhelmingly saw that as undermining their support for Kyiv. EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said the upcoming foreign and defense ministers’ meeting would take place in Brussels instead of Budapest. Hungary blasted the decision. Hungary currently holds the rotating EU presidency, and had expected to host the annual late August gathering. Orbán is close to Russia.