Following his meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, Orbán has traveled to Beijing to engage with Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping.
Orbán emphasized on X that China plays a crucial role in fostering peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. He noted that his visit to meet with President Xi in Beijing comes just two months after Xi’s official visit to Budapest.
After meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Wednesday and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday, Orbán is currently in Beijing to engage with Xi Jinping, the head of the Chinese Communist Party. Orbán has emphasized China’s pivotal role in facilitating peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and highlighted his trip to Beijing, which follows Xi’s official visit to Budapest two months ago. Xi assured Orbán that China would persist in its efforts to establish conditions conducive to peace.
Orbán’s next destination is Washington, DC, where he will attend the 75th anniversary of NATO’s founding. This visit has sparked speculation that he might meet with former U.S. President Donald J. Trump. Trump has criticized the Biden administration’s approach towards Ukraine and expressed a desire to end the ongoing conflict, which he believes was exacerbated by NATO’s push to include Ukraine despite Russia’s strong objections.
Tensions escalated following the U.S.-Ukraine Charter on Strategic Partnership signed in November 2021 by Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba. Ignoring Russia’s warnings that NATO membership for Ukraine was a “red line,” Russia eventually invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Subsequently, a potential peace deal was reportedly undermined by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson at Washington’s urging. The conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with recent reports from the Russian Ministry of Defense claiming substantial losses on the Ukrainian side.
Hungarian MEP Lászlo András has criticized Western leaders for creating a diplomatic echo chamber, only engaging with viewpoints that align with their own. He hopes Orbán’s global engagements can break this insular approach and foster progress toward peace in Europe. Donald Trump Jr. has voiced support for Orbán’s peace efforts, suggesting a possible meeting between Orbán and Trump, who share a commitment to restoring peace and ending continuous wars.
In an interview with the German newspaper Bild, Orbán argued against the notion of Russia being defeated by a smaller Ukraine, citing Russia’s superior military resources. He predicted more intense conflict in the coming months. Orbán’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyas, underscored the necessity of a ceasefire for meaningful dialogue and the collaborative development of a peace plan.
