Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky attended the European Political Community (EPC) Summit held at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock, Oxfordshire, England on July 18, 2024.
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OXFORD, UK – Ukrainian President Zelensky on Thursday lashed out at European leaders for “betraying” Kyiv’s interests in a thinly veiled attack on Hungarian President Viktor Orban and his shadow peace talks.
Zelensky told European leaders that Russian President Vladimir Putin has so far failed to sow disunity in the region, but noted that EU members – especially a weak link – could still succumb to temptation or blackmail.
“He (Putin) may try to get close to you, or go to some of your partners alone, try to seduce you or pressure you, blackmail you, make one of you betray the others and weaken our unity,” he said in his opening remarks at the meeting.
The Ukrainian leader said it was up to individual leaders how to act and “what legacy they leave behind”.
However, in an apparent reference to Orban’s recent meeting with Putin in Moscow, he noted that those working against the continent’s interests should not be considered part of the bloc’s affairs.
“If someone in Europe tries to solve the problem behind other people’s backs or even at the expense of others, if someone wants to make some trips to war capitals and make some promises that go against our common interests – or at the expense of Ukraine and Ukraine Other countries – so why should we consider such people?
“The EU and NATO can solve all problems without this man,” he said.
“Putin cannot maintain relations with really strong leaders. That is our advantage, but it remains our advantage only if we are united,” he added.
Hungary’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the remarks.
Zelensky delivers a speech to the EU 27 member countriesand 20 other heads of state from the region delivered opening remarks at the European Political Community summit, established in 2022 after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Orban, a Putin ally, met with the Russian leader earlier this month, a visit that drew condemnation from Europe just days after he visited Kiev.
Hungary is a member of the European Union and NATO and took over the rotating EU presidency earlier this year.
“The peace mission continues. Second stop: Moscow,” he said in a statement. social media posts then.
In an interview with CNBC outside the summit on Thursday, Orban said he believed his job was to persuade leaders to “shift from pro-war policies to pro-peace policies.” In separate comments to reporters, Orban said Republican presidential candidate Trump shared the same sentiment.
Looking back at last week’s Mar-a-Lago meeting, he called it “Peace Mission 5.0” The Hungarian Prime Minister said that Trump has stated that if elected in November, he will immediately take “all actions conducive to peace.”
He added that Trump had said the “financial burden” would be different between the United States and Europe if he returned to power. “We should understand this here,” Orban said ahead of the EPC talks.
