Mock vote in Russia: Orbán congratulates Putin on his “re

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Orbán and Putin in October 2023: “Mutual respect”

Photo: SPUTNIK / REUTERS

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán congratulated Russian President Vladimir Putin on his "re-election." Orbán's spokesman Bertalan Havasi has now announced this, as the Hungarian state news agency MTI reported. It is gratifying that "the cooperation between Hungary and Russia is based on mutual respect, which makes discussion of important questions possible in the current difficult geopolitical situation," wrote the right-wing populist Hungarian head of government.

Hungary is “on the side of peace” and we are convinced that maintaining dialogue is the prerequisite for the early establishment of peace, Orbán wrote, referring to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Hungary wants to strengthen cooperation with Russia in areas where this “does not restrict international law.”

Criticism immediately came from Brussels. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said at the ongoing EU summit that she would "not take part in the congratulations." The “election” in Russia was neither free nor fair. In many countries people can be excited about the results of the upcoming elections, but not in Russia. "We're talking about a country that illegally invaded another country, a country whose leader didn't stop in 2008, didn't stop in 2014 and definitely shows no signs of stopping now," Metsola continued.

Kallas: “Special operation for the nomination”

Even before the summit began, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas also had harsh words. »I refuse to call it an election. I call it a special operation for nomination.” Kallas was alluding to the fact that the war of aggression against Ukraine is not described as such in Russia. Officially, the Kremlin speaks of a “special military operation.” Kallas emphasized that Russia's goal is to undermine European elections and make people believe "that everything is the same."

Hungary has closer relations with Russia than other EU states - Orbán has long been criticized in the rest of the Union because he continued to maintain contact with Putin even after the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.

China, Cuba, India and North Korea, among others, also congratulated Putin. His victory was already considered a foregone conclusion before the so-called election. All of the Kremlin leader's best-known critics are either dead, imprisoned or in exile. Besides him, there were only three candidates with no chance.

aeh/AFP/dpa/Reuters