Fico praised Orban for his visit to Putin and said he would have gone with him if his health allowed

On Friday, 5 July, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico spoke publicly for the first time since the attempted assassination. Among other topics, he praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visits to Kyiv and Moscow, which he called a "peacekeeping mission".

In a speech dedicated to the Day of Saints Cyril and Methodius, which is celebrated as a public holiday in Slovakia, Fico praised the initiative of his Hungarian counterpart and said that he himself would have joined it if his health had allowed him to.

His words are quoted by the Slovak online media outlet Pravda, which is cited by DW.

On 5 July, Viktor Orban arrived in Moscow on an unannounced visit to meet with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

According to the press service of the Hungarian prime minister, the topic of the conversation was the possibility of establishing a truce in Russia's war against Ukraine.

"There are many steps to be taken to get closer to ending the war," Orban said at a press conference following the talks in the Kremlin. – "However, we have made the most important step: we have established contact, and I will continue to work in this direction.

He added that he had learnt Putin's opinion on three issues: various peace initiatives, the possibility of a ceasefire and peace talks, and his vision of Europe after the war.

Shortly before that, on 2 July, Viktor Orban visited Kyiv, where he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and urged him to "cease fire and then negotiate with Russia, because a ceasefire would accelerate the pace of these negotiations."

The European Union sharply criticised Viktor Orban's trip to Moscow.

"The policy of appeasement will not stop Putin," tweeted European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen (X). – Only unity and determination will pave the way for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

In their turn, EU Diplomacy Chief Josep Borrell, European Council President Charles Michel and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz stressed that despite Hungary's current presidency of the European Council, Orban "in no way" represents the EU's interests in Moscow, but acts individually as the Hungarian prime minister.

"The EU's position is very clear: we condemn Russia's aggressive war. Ukraine can rely on our help," Olaf Scholz tweeted.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also stressed that Orban did not represent the North Atlantic Alliance during his meeting with Putin. According to him, Hungary informed NATO in advance of Orban's planned visit, and he expects the Hungarian prime minister to speak about his talks in Moscow at the NATO summit to be held on 9-11 July in Washington.

US President Joe Biden's press secretary, Karin Jean-Pierre, also said that Viktor Orban's visit to Moscow does not contribute to peace in Ukraine and is "counterproductive to supporting Ukraine's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence".

Meanwhile, the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which has repeatedly criticised military aid to Kyiv and the position of Western allies on the war in Ukraine unleashed by Russia, also praised Viktor Orban's actions.

"Hungary is taking the initiative and has been talking to both sides of the conflict since the first day of its presidency of the EU Council. This has been a key demand of the AfD since the beginning of the war," said Matthias Mosdorf, spokesman for the AfD in the Bundestag. According to him, Orban is the only European head of government who has working channels for negotiations.

Background. Meanwhile, it has become known that Scholz criticised Orban's decision to visit Moscow, and the Hungarian Foreign Ministry cancelled a meeting with the German one. German Foreign Minister Annalena Burbock was due to meet with her Hungarian counterpart, Peter Szijjarto.