Ursula von der Leyen has questioned the latest efforts by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to broker a peaceful settlement of the Ukraine conflict, slamming his visit to Russia earlier this month as an “appeasement mission.”
Addressing the European Parliament ahead of her reelection vote, the European Commission president claimed that Russia was “still on the offensive in Eastern Ukraine” because it expects the West to “go soft” and withdraw its support for Kiev. Orban’s solo run to Moscow had bolstered this view, she claimed.
“Russia is banking on Europe and the West going soft, and some in Europe are playing along. Two weeks ago, an EU prime minister went to Moscow. This so-called peace mission was nothing but an appeasement mission, a plain appeasement mission,” said von der Leyen.
Orban embarked on what he called a Ukraine ‘peace mission’ earlier this month, aiming to find a resolution to the conflict by holding talks with its “five main actors” – Ukraine, Russia, China, the EU, and the US. His visit to Moscow, during which he held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has attracted a barrage of criticism in both the EU and NATO, with many officials disavowing it as undermining the West’s efforts to present a united front against so-called ‘Russian aggression.’
While Orban’s peace efforts have so far failed to result in any significant change to the peace process, he dismissed the criticism and said he was “helping Europe” with his attempts to bring the parties to the negotiating table.
In her speech, von der Leyen pledged that, under her leadership, Europe would continue to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia. She recalled the tragedy at the Okhmatdet children’s hospital in Kiev, which took place two days after Orban’s trip to Moscow. Von der Leyen claimed that the strike, which Kiev and its Western backers blamed on a Russian missile, “was not a mistake” but “a clear message from the Kremlin.”
“Our answer has to be just as clear… Europe will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes. We must give Ukraine everything it needs to resist and emerge victorious,” she stated.
Russia has denied that it was responsible for the tragedy at Okhmatdet, saying that a Ukrainian air-defense missile was to blame. Following the incident, Russia’s ambassador to the US, Anatoly Antonov, noted that Kiev’s Western supporters had seen it as a “perfect gift” to justify further escalation of the conflict, as it coincided with a NATO summit.
Russia has repeatedly stated that it does not strike civilian targets in Ukraine, and has rejected the suggestion that it poses a threat to Europe. It has also repeatedly said it was eager to find a diplomatic solution to the conflict, albeit on its own terms. However, Kiev has so far rejected all proposals.