Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, has strongly criticized Hungarian Prime Min-ister Viktor Orbán’s recent diplomatic efforts regarding the war in Ukraine. According to Borrell, Orbán’s self-described “peace mission” to Moscow and Beijing earlier this month undermines the EU’s united front on the conflict.

Borrell emphasized that Russia is the aggressor in violation of the UN Charter, while Ukraine is exercising its right to self-defense. He argued that any peace initiative ignoring these facts ultimately benefits Russian President Vladimir Putin rather than promoting gen-uine peace.

The EU foreign policy chief accused Hungary of failing to comply with Article 24.3 of the EU Treaties, which requires member states to support the bloc’s foreign policy “actively and unreservedly in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity.” Borrell stated that this article is not merely decorative but a binding obligation for all EU members.

In response to Hungary’s actions, Borrell announced that the informal meeting of EU for-eign ministers, originally scheduled to take place in Budapest in August, will now be held in Brussels. This decision aligns with the European Commission’s boycott of informal meet-ings in Hungary during its Council presidency.

Borrell also addressed Hungary’s repeated complaints about the EU’s military support for Ukraine, which Hungarian officials have labeled as a “pro-war policy.” He countered this narrative, asserting that Putin is the only pro-war party, given his demands for Ukraine’s partition as a precondition for negotiations.

The EU diplomat expressed frustration with Hungary’s continued veto of €6.6 billion in mil-itary assistance reimbursements for Ukraine. Borrell described this blockage as “purely shameful” and warned that it could discourage some EU member states from providing fur-ther military aid to Kyiv.

Throughout his statements, Borrell emphasized the importance of EU unity in facing the challenges posed by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and called for all member states to ad-here to the bloc’s common foreign policy stance.