European council summit faces rift over Ukraine peace talks
After the dispute in the White House, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban appealed to the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, for Europe to initiate peace negotiations with Russia, following the example of the United States. He also announced a blockade of the EU summit conclusions on Ukraine.
The European Council summit, focused on Europe's security and the war in Ukraine, is scheduled for March 6.
In a letter to European Council President Antonio Costa, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban stated that the draft conclusions reveal strategic differences in his approach to Ukraine that cannot be bridged by a draft or discussions.
Orban expressed his belief that the European Union should follow the United States' lead and initiate direct negotiations with Russia to achieve a ceasefire and peace in Ukraine. However, he noted that this perspective was not included in the summit's conclusions.
Orban suggested that the European Council's extraordinary meeting should avoid adopting written conclusions on Ukraine. Instead, he proposed restricting them to reaffirming and supporting UN Security Council Resolution No. 2774 (2025), adopted on February 24, 2025. He emphasized that this resolution marks a new phase in the conflict, making all previous European Council agreements obsolete.
The Hungarian prime minister contends that adopting a written conclusion on Ukraine would give the impression of a divided European Union.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico also criticized the summit conclusions, stating that it should include a call for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.
Dispute at the White House
Orban and Fico are two politicians who have been highly critical of supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the conflict. At the same time, they refrain from accusing Russia of initiating the invasion.
Orban's letter and Fico's post appeared a day after talks between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. The leaders of both countries were supposed to sign an agreement on Ukrainian minerals, but it led to a dispute. Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance repeatedly demanded that Zelensky thank them for their help and criticized his negotiation style, accusing him of playing without cards. In response, the President of Ukraine accused them of not understanding his country's position. Ultimately, the agreement was not signed, and Zelensky, along with the Ukrainian delegation, was asked to leave the White House.
