“We don't need the EU's permission.” Hungary's harsh reaction to the German Chancellor's comment about Orban's visit to Russia

Hungary pursues a sovereign foreign policy, said Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, responding to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's comment that Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Moscow without EU approval.

“We Hungarians do not need the permission or mandate of those in Brussels, Berlin or anyone else to participate in negotiations abroad. Regardless of whether those in Brussels like it or not, we pursue a sovereign foreign policy, and our decisions are determined by national interests,” Peter Szijjarto wrote on his Facebook page, according to News.ro.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met on November 28, in Moscow, with Russian President Vladimir Putin. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz criticized the Hungarian leader's trip.

“The visit at that time was not only unsuccessful. A few days after the visit, some of the most intense attacks by the Russian army took place, including against civilian infrastructure and civilian targets in Ukraine. I hope that this reaction from Russia is not repeated this time. But he is going there without a European mandate and without having coordinated with us,” said the head of the German executive, in a joint press conference with Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob.

The Hungarian prime minister is the only European leader who maintains good relations with both Putin and Trump and took advantage of his visit to Moscow to once again offer Budapest as a venue for negotiations aimed at ending the Russian-Ukrainian war, not only for a Putin-Trump summit, but also for other Russian-American and/or Russian-Ukrainian negotiations, according to the EFE agency.