European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Moscow and Russia’s attack on a children’s hospital in Kyiv. Von der Leyen stated that Russia continues its offensive and is waging a war of attrition, betting on the “fatigue” of European and Western support for Ukraine. She criticized Orbán’s visit to Putin, calling it a “peace tour,” which she described as a mission of appeasement. Von der Leyen emphasized that the attack on “Okhmatdyt” was a cold message from the Kremlin to the EU, and Europe will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Moscow. She also criticized Russia’s attack on the “Okhmatdyt” children’s hospital in Kyiv, noting that Moscow did this deliberately.
Von der Leyen made these comments during the presentation of her program as a candidate for a second term as President of the European Commission.
What von der Leyen Said About “Okhmatdyt” and Orbán’s “Peace Tour”
Ursula von der Leyen stated that Russia continues its offensive and is waging a war of attrition. Moscow is also betting that Europe and the West will ease up on supporting Ukraine.
The European Commission President noted that there are those in the EU who are playing into the Kremlin’s hands. She criticized Orbán’s visit to Putin.
“This so-called peace mission was nothing but a mission of appeasement. Just two days later, Putin’s planes targeted their missiles at a children’s hospital and a maternity ward in Kyiv. We all saw images of bloodied children. We saw mothers trying to take their young cancer-stricken children to safety,” said von der Leyen.
The candidate for re-election as President of the European Commission noted that the attack on “Okhmatdyt” was not a mistake but a “cold message from the Kremlin to the EU.” She stated that Europe will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.
European Leaders Make Decisions for the Next Five Years
Notably, European leaders at the EU summit made decisions regarding the leadership of the EU for the next five years. As a result, the current President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will retain her position until 2029. However, her appointment still needs to be voted on by the European Parliament, requiring at least 361 MEPs.
In response to Orbán’s “peace tour,” the European Commission canceled the visit of the college of commissioners to Hungary and adjusted the level of representation at meetings under the Hungarian presidency. These decisions were met with quite an emotional reaction in Budapest.
