The EU foreign ministers are meeting in Brussels to discuss the uncoordinated Moscow trip by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The EU is expected to strongly criticize Orban's actions, while Germany and other countries are pushing for a boycott of an informal foreign council in Budapest.
The EU is also discussing military aid for Ukraine in the Russian aggression. Orban's blocking of approximately €6.5 billion in funds is causing further tensions.
The meeting will also cover the Gaza conflict and a proposed association council with Israel. The EU foreign chief, Josep Borrell, had suggested moving the meeting to Brussels.
The EU is divided over the issue, with some countries supporting Orban, while others oppose Borrell's boycott idea. The EU's actions are seen as a response to Orban's visits to Moscow, Beijing, and Washington, which have raised concerns about his role as a spokesperson for the EU.
Borrell's decision to boycott the meeting in Budapest has been criticized by countries like Poland, Lithuania, and Sweden, while Germany, France, and the Netherlands reject the idea. The EU's move to shift the meeting from Budapest to Brussels symbolically reflects Hungary's uncoordinated diplomatic efforts on Ukraine, which have been rebuked by 25 EU countries and undermines EU unity.
