An informal meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers would be held in Brussels to condemn Hungary’s diplomatic efforts against Ukraine, EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell reported.
We have to send a signal, even if this is a symbolic signal.
Borrell announced the change of venue from Budapest to Brussels on Monday 22 July. Hungary’s repeated uncoordinated moves against EU unity should “have some formal consequences,” Borrell said.
“But I refuse the word boycotting, the meeting will take place and Hungary will be there.”
Pressure for such a move intensified after EU countries rebuked Hungary and its Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his “peace missions” to Ukraine, Russia, China, and the US. However, Budapest has never explicitly stated that the meetings are held at the national or EU presidency level.
Hungary holds the presidency of the EU Council until 31 December. Last week, the European Commission asked its members not to attend informal ministerial meetings during Hungary’s six-month EU presidency in protest at Orbán’s solitary diplomatic efforts on Ukraine.
The informal meeting of EU foreign and defence ministers will take place on August 28-30. It is the bloc’s only ministerial configuration not convened by the rotating EU presidency but by the EU’s chief diplomat. According to several of the bloc’s diplomats, 13 member states wanted the meeting to take place in Budapest, five said they would not attend and eight left the decision to Borrell.
Peaceful efforts
Despite the EU’s stance, Slovakia’s Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj-Eštok expressed support for Hungary’s policy towards Ukraine.
We fully support Hungary and the initiative for peace.
Hungary accused the EU in recent weeks of pursuing a “pro-war policy” by continuing its military and financial aid to Ukraine. However, according to several EU diplomats, most of the bloc’s member states expressed their anger towards Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó during talks on Monday. In response, he stated:
“What a fantastic response they have come up with. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but it feels like being in a kindergarten.”
Hungary was bound by Article 24.3 of the EU treaties, which required all members to support the bloc’s foreign policy “actively and unreservedly in a spirit of loyalty and mutual solidarity,” Borrell said after the meeting.
Each member state is sovereign on its foreign policy – true. But as far as they are members of this club, they have to obey the treaties. (…) For me, it’s clear what has happened belongs to the realm of a lack of loyal co-operation.
