Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, without a mandate from the European Union. “The #peace mission continues. Second stop: #Moscow,” Orban stated on X, following his previous visit to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Hungary, currently holding the EU presidency, aims to advocate for an end to the conflict in Ukraine, invaded by Russia in 2022. During their meeting, Putin implied that Orban was representing the European Council, despite objections from EU officials. Orban's visit has been condemned by European officials, with EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell clarifying that Orban's visit is within the scope of bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia and does not represent the EU. Known as a close ally of Putin, Orban has hindered EU initiatives on providing aid to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia. The visit comes after Orban urged Zelenskyy in Kyiv to pursue a ceasefire with Russia for peace talks. Charles Michel emphasized that Hungary, in its EU presidency, has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU, reiterating that Ukraine is the victim of Russian aggression. Orban stressed the importance of dialogue for achieving peace, highlighting the need for action rather than passive discussions in Brussels. Orban's visit marks the first by an EU leader since 2022, with their previous meeting in Beijing discussing energy cooperation.