EU foreign ministers to meet in Brussels, not Budapest, over Ukraine diplomacy spat

4 months ago 17

In reaction to Hungary’s controversial solo diplomatic efforts on Ukraine, the EU’s informal meeting of foreign and defence ministers will take place in Brussels instead of Budapest, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said on Monday (22 July).

“We have to send a signal, even if this is a symbolic signal,” Borrell told reporters after Monday’s foreign ministers meeting in Brussels, announcing the change of venue.

“But I refuse the word boycotting, the meeting will take place and Hungary will be there,” he added.

Pressure to take such a step has been building after EU countries rebuked Hungary and its Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his self-declared “peace missions” to Ukraine, Russia, China, and Florida. Budapest never explicitly explained whether they had been conducted in the national or EU presidency capacity.

Hungary chairs the rotating EU Council presidency until 31 December.

The European Commission asked its Commissioners last week not to attend informal ministerial meetings during the Hungarian six-month EU presidency in protest at Orbán’s diplomatic solo efforts over Ukraine.

The informal foreign and defence ministerial was the only one left, as it is the EU’s only ministerial configuration that is called not by Borrell and not the rotating EU presidency.

According to EU diplomats, 13 member states wanted the meeting to take place in Budapest, five said they would not attend and eight left it up to Borrell to decide.

But given that 25 EU countries – minus Slovakia and Hungary itself – supported the condemnation of Orbán’s initiative, Borrell decided to go ahead with the decision, he said.

[Edited by Zoran Radosavljevic]