Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper) – European Council President Charles Michel has criticised Viktor Orbán over the Hungarian leader’s self-declared “peace missions” to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing and Washington.
Why did Charles Michel criticize Viktor Orbán’s missions?
President of the European Council Charles Michel replied to a letter from the Prime Minister of the Hungarian EU Presidency Viktor Orbán, in which he once again clarified to him that the Council Presidency does not acquire a mandate to act on behalf of the Union and that the EU’s position concerning Ukraine has been unanimously arranged upon – the Union will defend her as long as necessary.
What is the EU’s stance on Ukraine, according to Michel?
President Michel reminded Orbán that the EU stance on Ukraine was unanimously agreed upon by all EU member states by the European Council, and was last approved in June. In particular, in the conclusions assumed following the EU Council meeting at the level of heads of state and government, the EU authorised its “unwavering commitment to helping Ukraine and its people for as long as it takes and as intensely as required.” In addition, the Strategic Agenda, which was also supported by all leaders, stated that the EU “provided backing to Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s war of aggression and to defend European security.”
Why can’t Hungary act on behalf of the EU?
Michel again indicated to Orbán that the country’s rotating presidency of the Council, which is now assigned to Hungary and will last for six months, “has no role in depicting the Union on the international stage and acquired no European Council mandate to commit on behalf of the Union.” “I made this clear even before you visited Moscow and this was subsequently reiterated by High Representative Borrell in his statement of 5 July,” the President of the European Council stated.
How did Michel refute Orbán’s ‘pro-war’ policy accusation?
Michel also unleashed his disagreement with Orbán’s insistence that the EU is allegedly courting a pro-military policy. “I cannot accept your claim that we have led a ‘pro-war policy.’ It is quite the opposite. Russia is the aggressor and Ukraine is the victim exercising its legitimate right to self-defence. Russia is leading a war of aggression in blatant violation of international law, Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty following the UN Charter,” he explained the facts to Orbán.
What is the EU’s position on dialogue about Ukraine?
The President of the European Council also pointed to Orbán of the EU position, according to which “no dialogue about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.” “The European Union has always sought to build broad international support for a complete, just, and lasting peace based on the UN Charter and international law, in line with the fundamental principles and objectives of Ukraine’s Peace Formula. The Union has spared no effort to reach out to all partners in this regard, including China,” Michel stated.
The President of the European Council presented to Orbán that “the most direct way to peace is for Russia to remove all of its forces from Ukraine and appreciate Ukraine’s territorial integrity and the UN Charter.”
Michel told Orbán that, just as the Hungarian Prime Minister sent documents of the letter addressed to the President of the European Council to all member states, he plans to do the same and will send a duplicate of this letter to members of the European Council, as well as notify Ukraine about this correspondence.
