European Parliament condemns Hungarian PM Orban for meeting Putin in Russia

The European Parliament (EP) has adopted a resolution against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The resolution, which reaffirms support for Ukraine and condemns Orban for visiting Moscow and meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a peace mission for Ukraine, was passed with the support of 495 parliamentarians. In the vote, 137 parliamentarians voted against it, while 47 abstained.

The text of the resolution states: “The European Parliament condemns the recent visit of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to the Russian Federation, stresses that he did not represent the European Union during this visit, and notes that this is a clear violation of the EU Treaties and common foreign policy, particularly the principle of sincere cooperation.”

SANCTIONS AGAINST HUNGARY

The resolution, which emphasizes that Hungarian Prime Minister Orban cannot represent the EU while violating its positions, states: “The European Parliament believes that this violation should be met with sanctions against Hungary and recalls that immediately after the Hungarian Prime Minister's so-called peace mission, Russia attacked the Okhmatdyt Children's Hospital in Kyiv, demonstrating how inappropriate these efforts were.”

The resolution notes that Orban's peace mission was met with skepticism by the Ukrainian government and expresses the EU's support for the peace formula presented by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION DID NOT SUPPORT

Parliamentarians from the Tisza party, an opposition party in Hungary, did not support the resolution in the EP. A statement released by the center-right party said: “We could not support a resolution that punishes Hungary for Viktor Orban's misguided policies.”

Iratxe Garcia Perez, President of the Socialists and Democrats group in the European Parliament, said: “Orban met with Putin to humiliate the European Union, to claim he has a peace plan that no one knows about, and to encourage Russian expansionism.”

SUPPORT FOR UKRAINE REAFFIRMED

The resolution, which also marks the first time the newly elected European Parliament has set out its official position on Russia and Ukraine, reaffirmed support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. The resolution called on the EU to continue and expand its sanctions policy against Russia and Belarus.