Several European Union countries, including Sweden, will not send ministers to meetings linked to Hungary’s EU presidency this month, reports Reuters.
This move comes as a protest against Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s recent talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs, Jessika Roswall, told Reuters that the Hungarian actions during the (EU) presidency are harmful and must have consequences.
“Sweden will, therefore, not participate on a political level during the informal government meetings in July,” she said.
According to Roswell, civil servants will only be represented by civil servants at these meetings in Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. She added that additional EU member countries were considering similar actions.
The protest stems from Orban’s discussions with Putin last week about a potential Ukraine peace deal. This meeting drew criticism from some EU leaders who cautioned against appeasing Moscow and emphasized that Orban did not speak for the 27-nation bloc.
According to informed sources, Orban, known for his nationalist stance and frequent disagreements with fellow EU leaders, is also expected to meet with former US President Donald Trump at Trump’s Florida home on Thursday.
Hungary currently holds the rotating EU presidency, lasting until 31 December 2023.
The article also mentions that the EU’s legal service has determined that the Hungarian premier’s negotiations with Putin “contradict EU treaties,” although no further details were provided on this point.
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