Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, fresh off a controversial trip to Moscow, may now be on his way to Beijing, a Hungarian media site reported on July 7, although the government in Budapest hasn't confirmed the journey. Hungarian news portal 444.hu reported that tracking sites have shown that a Hungarian military-government Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft is on its way from Budapest to Beijing – a plane often used to transport the country’s prime minister. Orban, who holds the rotating EU Presidency, was soundly criticized by EU leaders for his July 5 trip to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin in what the Hungarian premier called an effort to end the war between Russia and Ukraine. Brussels and Ukraine said Orban did not speak for the EU or Kyiv. Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hungary in May.
Editors' Picks
RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.
If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.
To find out more, click here.