Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin breaking ranks with his counterparts in the European Union.
Orbán described the visit as a “peace mission” but the trip has been condemned by other European leaders.
The visit comes just days after Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU but the bloc’s leaders have said that Orbán has no authority to negotiate on behalf of the European Union.
In televised comments at the beginning of their meeting, Putin suggested that Orbán was visiting Moscow as a representative of the European Council, despite the outcry from European officials over the visit.
European Council President Charles Michel wrote on X Thursday:” The EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.”
We’ll be bringing you the very latest updates, pictures and video on this breaking news story.
For the latest news and breaking news visit: /news
Stay up to date with all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you.
