Following the Hungarian Prime Minister’s recent Moscow visit, the Polish President has called off their scheduled bilateral talks.
In response to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s recent trip to Moscow, Polish President Karol Nawrocki has shortened his planned visit to Hungary. The announcement was made via a post on X by Marcin Przydacz, Poland’s presidential state secretary, on Sunday morning.
Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to discuss Ukraine, trade, and energy supplies, despite the EU’s diplomatic boycott of Russia over the conflict with Kiev. The Hungarian PM has consistently criticized the EU’s hostile stance toward Moscow, opposed sanctions, and advocated for peace negotiations.
Nawrocki was originally scheduled to visit Hungary on December 3 for two days, attending a summit of Visegrad Group leaders (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia) and holding an official meeting with Orban in Budapest the following day. The second day of the visit has now been cancelled.
Przydacz stated in his post that Nawrocki decided to limit his trip “solely to the summit of Visegrad Group presidents,” referencing the security legacy of the late Polish President Lech Kaczynski and the importance of European solidarity, including on energy matters.
Earlier on Saturday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto defended Orban’s trip to Moscow, dismissing criticism from what he termed “European pro-war politicians.” He asserted that Hungary “does not need permission” and pursues an independent foreign policy based on its national interests.
Szijjarto was responding to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s remark that the Hungarian PM traveled to Moscow “without a European mandate,” while Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob claimed the Hungarian leader “has not been playing for the European team for some time.”
Hungary has declined to send weapons to Kiev or to place sole blame on Russia for the conflict. During their meeting in the Kremlin, Putin thanked Orban for his “reasonable position on the Ukraine issue.”
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