Orban shakes hands with Putin. Sharp comment from the Estonian Prime Minister
9:22 AM EDT, October 20, 2023
The sight of Hungary's Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, shaking hands with Vladimir Putin is "very unpleasant," according to the Prime Minister of Estonia. "How can you shake hands with a criminal?" asks Kaja Kallas.
The Prime Minister of Hungary met with the Russian dictator in Beijing on Tuesday. - Hungary has never been interested in confrontation with Russia, but in establishing close relationships - Orban said at the meeting with Putin. - We are trying to save bilateral contacts in the face of broader international tensions - he added.
The meeting of leaders was commented on during a visit to France by the Prime Minister of Estonia.
- How can you shake the hand of a criminal who leads a war of aggression, especially if you come from a country with a history like Hungary - said Kaja Kallas in an&nbs;interview with Reuters.
- What Russia did in Hungary wasn't so long ago - stated Kallas. She was referring to the events of 1956 when the Soviet Union brutally oppressed the Hungarian uprising against Communist rule. Nearly 3,000 Hungarians were killed in the fighting.
"Hungary cultivates closer ties with Russia than other European Union countries and is seen as a key potential opponent of the decision, which is to be made in December concerning the commencement of accession talks with Ukraine, which would require the unanimous support of the 27 members of the bloc" - Reuters reminds.
Even the fact that the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued a warrant in March for Vladimir Putin for war crimes committed by Russian forces in Ukraine did not prevent Orban from meeting with Putin.
Hungary responds to comment from Estonia
Commenting on the words of Prime Minister Kallas, the head of the Hungarian diplomacy called them "peak hypocrisy". - With all due respect, I would like to remind you that this is the same Kaja Kallas, whose husband had shares in a company providing Russia with raw materials worth approximately 33 million dollars, even after the outbreak of the war against Ukraine - said Peter Szijjarto.
