Orban: the EU should organize its own summit with Putin
The European Union should organize its own summit with Russian leader Vladimir Putin – wrote Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Facebook on Tuesday, commenting on the refusal to sign the EU declaration regarding Ukraine before the upcoming meeting of the presidents of the USA and Russia in Alaska.
“Four days before the historic summit of Presidents Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, the European Council attempted to issue a statement on behalf of all heads of government and heads of state of member countries. Before the left-wing mainstream of Europe starts lamenting that I am a ‘puppet of Putin’, I want to explain why I could not sign this declaration,” wrote the head of the Hungarian government.
“The statement attempts to set conditions before a meeting to which EU leaders were not even invited. It is already sad that the EU has become entrenched in its position, and the only worse thing would be if we started issuing instructions from the backseat. The only reasonable solution is to organize our own EU-Russia summit, following the example of the USA-Russia meeting,” Orban stated. “Let’s give peace a chance!” he concluded.
Leaders of 26 EU countries emphasized in a statement published on Tuesday that “the paths to peace cannot be defined without Ukraine.” They added that a diplomatic solution must also protect Europe’s security interests and declared that the EU is ready for security guarantees, part of which must be Ukraine’s ability to defend itself effectively. The statement – which Hungary did not sign – aims to highlight Europe’s cohesive approach to the issue of the war in Ukraine ahead of the Trump-Putin meeting.
“We, the leaders of the EU, welcome President Trump’s efforts to end Russian aggression against Ukraine and to achieve a just and lasting peace, as well as security for Ukraine,” it was written. EU leaders also assured that they will continue to support Ukraine on its path to EU membership.
“The European Union, in cooperation with the United States and other like-minded partners, will continue to provide Ukraine with political, financial, economic, humanitarian, military, and diplomatic support, as Ukraine exercises its inalienable right to self-defense,” the leaders emphasized. (12.08.2025)
