TWO FASCISTS ON A RED CARPET
Putin meets with Hungary's prime minister in rare in-person talks with an EU leaderJUSTIN SPIKE and KEN MORITSUGU
Updated Tue, October 17, 2023
BEIJING (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks on Tuesday with Vladimir Putin in a rare in-person meeting for the Russian president with a leader of a European Union country.
Orbán and Putin met in Beijing before an international forum on one of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s signature policies, the Belt and Road Initiative. Their meeting focused on Hungary’s access to Russian energy.
EU and other Western leaders have largely eschewed contact with Putin over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine that began in February. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer met with Putin in person in April 2022.
“Hungary never wanted to confront Russia. Hungary always has been eager to expand contacts,” Orbán told Putin, according to a Russian translation of his remarks broadcast on Russian state television.
Bilateral ties between the two countries have suffered because of EU sanctions against Moscow, he said.
Hungary’s stance on the war has confounded its European partners and led to deadlocks in providing financial and military assistance to Kyiv. Orbán has refused to supply Ukraine with weapons and not allowed their transfer across the Hungarian-Ukrainian border. He has also threatened to veto EU sanctions against Moscow, though has always ultimately voted in favor of them.
Orbán’s meeting with Putin appeared to be a boon for the Russian president, who could point to it as a sign that unity within the EU on its support for Ukraine — and its condemnation of Russia for starting the war — was faltering.
Putin said that while opportunities for maintaining ties with some countries are “limited in the current geopolitical situation, it causes satisfaction that we have managed to preserve and develop relations with many European countries, including Hungary.”
Budapest has blocked an EU military aid package to Kyiv worth 500 million euros ($526 million) since May, and said it would continue doing so until it receives concessions from Kyiv concerning its listing of a Hungarian bank as an international sponsor of the war.
Orbán, a conservative populist leader who has repeatedly criticized Western sanctions against Russia, said that his country has remained eager to maintain ties with Moscow, on which Hungary is highly dependent for natural gas, oil and nuclear fuel.
While most of Hungary’s neighbors in Central and Eastern Europe have taken great strides to wean themselves off of Russian energy, Orbán has worked to maintain and even increase supplies of Russian gas and oil, arguing that they are essential for the functioning of Hungary’s economy.
“We are doing what we can and trying to save what we can in our bilateral contacts,” he said, noting the planned expansion of Hungary’s only nuclear power plant by Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom. The project will be financed with a 10-billion euro ($10.5 billion) loan from a Russian state bank.
In a post on his Facebook page, Orbán reiterated his longstanding call for a cease-fire and immediate peace talks in Ukraine, though he has not indicated what such an arrangement would mean for Ukraine’s future security or territorial integrity.
“In Europe today, one question is on everyone’s mind: will there be a cease-fire in Ukraine,” Orbán wrote. “For us Hungarians, too, the most important thing is that the flood of refugees, the sanctions and the fighting in our neighboring country should end.”
Putin, making a rare trip out of Russia, is holding a series of meetings with other leaders who have come to Beijing for the Belt and Road Forum, and will also hold talks with Xi.
Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said Tuesday that he had had a short meeting with Putin, one that is also likely to raise concerns in Europe. Under Vučić, Serbia has been increasingly drifting away from its proclaimed goal of joining the EU and is moving closer to Russia and China economically and politically.
Serbia has refused to join EU sanctions against Moscow, although Vučić says Serbia respects the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
Both China and Russia are the main suppliers of weapons for the Serbian army at a time when growing tensions over its former province of Kosovo is one of the main Western security concerns for regional stability.
China has provided Serbia with billions of dollars in loans for factories and highways that Chinese companies are building. A free trade agreement signed with China on Tuesday goes directly against EU economic policies and would have to be scrapped if Serbia were to join the EU.
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Justin Spike reported from Budapest, Hungary. Dusan Stojanovic contributed to this report from Belgrade, Serbia.
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This story has been corrected to delete references to Putin’s meeting with Orbán as being the first in-person talks for Putin with an EU leader since the start of the war. Putin met face-to-face with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April 2022, around two months after the start of the war.
Orbán's chief of staff tries to justify his meeting with Putin and calling war in Ukraine a "military operation"
Ukrayinska Pravda
Wed, October 18, 2023
On Wednesday 18 October, Gergely Gulyás, head of the administration of the Hungarian Prime Minister, attempted to respond to criticism of Viktor Orbán’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in China.
Source: Hungarian TV channel ATV, citing Gulyás, reported by European Pravda
Details: Orbán’s chief of staff commented on criticism voiced by the US Ambassador to Hungary, David Pressman, who said that the Hungarian prime minister "chooses to stand with a man whose forces are responsible for crimes against humanity in Ukraine".
Quote: "If you think back to previous years, you will see meetings, a lot of meetings between Joe Biden and President Putin," Gulyás commented, advising the journalist to look at photos from these meetings.
When the ATV journalist pointed out that the presidents of the United States and Russia have not met since Russia invaded Ukraine, the Hungarian official reminded them of the importance of "talking about peace and the need to put an end to Russian aggression".
"This is exactly what the prime minister has been doing, and I would advise others to do the same," he added.
At the same time, Gulyás did not give a direct answer to the question of why Orbán used the Russian propaganda term "military operation" to describe the aggression against Ukraine during his meeting with Putin. He merely reiterated that Budapest's official position is condemnation of the war and respect for Ukraine’s territorial integrity.
Earlier it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in Beijing.
This is the first time in more than a year that Putin has met with the leader of an EU country. In April 2022, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer visited Moscow and met with the Kremlin leader.
Orbán regularly makes anti-Ukrainian statements in the spirit of Russian propaganda. In particular, he has said that the historic opportunity for Ukraine to join NATO has been lost and that Kyiv should forget about joining the Alliance.
Vladimir Putin gets diplomatic stage at belt and road gathering in Beijing
South China Morning Post
Wed, October 18, 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping's belt and road forum has provided a rare diplomatic stage for his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who has been increasingly isolated since Moscow invaded Ukraine.
It was Putin's second overseas trip since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest in March over the alleged war crime of illegally deporting Ukrainian children. He travelled to Kyrgyzstan earlier this month for a summit of former Soviet nations.
In the Chinese capital, Putin - who has been shunned by the West - was on a charm offensive, meeting regional leaders and the prime minister of a European Union country. He also held talks with Xi on Wednesday.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
He met new Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Tuesday at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a tightly guarded compound in the west of Beijing where Xi usually hosts his foreign counterparts.
Thailand, one of Washington's oldest allies in Asia, has not joined the West to condemn Putin's war in Ukraine.
Noting that Russia's trade with Thailand "decreased slightly last year amid the turbulence in international relations", Putin said his country would "do our best to make our relations develop as intensively as possible and contribute to the development of our states", according to the Kremlin.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Thavisin lauded the "more than 1 million Russian tourists" who travelled to Thailand. "Ready to invite Russia to consider increasing investment in Thailand. And invited Mr Putin to visit Thailand in order to strengthen our relationship," he wrote.
A Thai government statement said Putin had accepted the invitation, according to Agence France-Presse.
Putin also met his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong, who hosted US President Joe Biden in Hanoi last month, when the former Cold War foes announced an upgrade in bilateral ties.
According to the Kremlin, Putin told Thuong that relations between the two countries were "developing a traditional friendly atmosphere". "Of course, we are also actively cooperating on the global stage," he said.
Wed, October 18, 2023
Chinese President Xi Jinping's belt and road forum has provided a rare diplomatic stage for his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, who has been increasingly isolated since Moscow invaded Ukraine.
It was Putin's second overseas trip since the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest in March over the alleged war crime of illegally deporting Ukrainian children. He travelled to Kyrgyzstan earlier this month for a summit of former Soviet nations.
In the Chinese capital, Putin - who has been shunned by the West - was on a charm offensive, meeting regional leaders and the prime minister of a European Union country. He also held talks with Xi on Wednesday.
Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team.
THAILAND IS RUN BY A JUNTA
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin meets Vladimir Putin at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Photo: EPA-EFE
Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin meets Vladimir Putin at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. Photo: EPA-EFE
He met new Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Tuesday at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, a tightly guarded compound in the west of Beijing where Xi usually hosts his foreign counterparts.
Thailand, one of Washington's oldest allies in Asia, has not joined the West to condemn Putin's war in Ukraine.
Noting that Russia's trade with Thailand "decreased slightly last year amid the turbulence in international relations", Putin said his country would "do our best to make our relations develop as intensively as possible and contribute to the development of our states", according to the Kremlin.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Thavisin lauded the "more than 1 million Russian tourists" who travelled to Thailand. "Ready to invite Russia to consider increasing investment in Thailand. And invited Mr Putin to visit Thailand in order to strengthen our relationship," he wrote.
A Thai government statement said Putin had accepted the invitation, according to Agence France-Presse.
Putin also met his Vietnamese counterpart Vo Van Thuong, who hosted US President Joe Biden in Hanoi last month, when the former Cold War foes announced an upgrade in bilateral ties.
According to the Kremlin, Putin told Thuong that relations between the two countries were "developing a traditional friendly atmosphere". "Of course, we are also actively cooperating on the global stage," he said.
TWO STALINISTS ON THE RED CARPET
Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong called Russia a partner of "top importance" when he met Putin. Photo: Sputnik via Reuters
Thuong, who took office in March, said Vietnam "always considers Russia one of its partners of top importance", according to a readout from Hanoi.
"Vietnam always bears in mind the support and assistance offered by Russian people for the country's course of national development and protection," Thuong told Putin.
According to a post on the Vietnamese government website, Putin also accepted an invitation to visit the Southeast Asian country "soon".
Like Thailand, Vietnam has taken a neutral stance over the war in Ukraine, citing its "bamboo diplomacy" policy of not taking sides.
The United States, European Union and other Western countries imposed sanctions on Putin and other government figures following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In Beijing on Tuesday, Putin also met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - a rare meeting for the Russian leader with the head of an EU member state since the start of the Ukraine war.
According to Russian media, they focused on Hungary's access to Russian energy, with Orban telling Putin that Hungary "never wanted to confront Russia" and had always been "eager to expand contacts".
Putin said that while opportunities for maintaining ties with some countries were "limited in the current geopolitical situation" it was satisfying that Russia had "managed to preserve and develop relations with many European countries, including Hungary".
Putin also held informal talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday night before a welcome dinner at the Great Hall of the People hosted by Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan.
Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine just days after a trip to Beijing in February 2022, calling it a response to the expansion of Nato and provocations from Europe. Since then, the Russian leader has largely stayed home, aside from trips to Central Asia, Iran, Armenia and Belarus.
He has missed regional and global meetings including the Group of 20, though he did join the Brics summit in July via video link.
Putin travelled to Beijing with a high-level delegation that included two deputy prime ministers, the government chiefs in charge of finance, development of the Far East and the Arctic, the head of the central bank, and chief executives of the country's energy giants, according to Russian news agency Tass.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Vladimir Putin feted at Xi Jinping's global Belt and Road summit
Tessa Wong - Asia Digital Reporter, BBC News
Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong called Russia a partner of "top importance" when he met Putin. Photo: Sputnik via Reuters
Thuong, who took office in March, said Vietnam "always considers Russia one of its partners of top importance", according to a readout from Hanoi.
"Vietnam always bears in mind the support and assistance offered by Russian people for the country's course of national development and protection," Thuong told Putin.
According to a post on the Vietnamese government website, Putin also accepted an invitation to visit the Southeast Asian country "soon".
Like Thailand, Vietnam has taken a neutral stance over the war in Ukraine, citing its "bamboo diplomacy" policy of not taking sides.
The United States, European Union and other Western countries imposed sanctions on Putin and other government figures following Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In Beijing on Tuesday, Putin also met Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - a rare meeting for the Russian leader with the head of an EU member state since the start of the Ukraine war.
According to Russian media, they focused on Hungary's access to Russian energy, with Orban telling Putin that Hungary "never wanted to confront Russia" and had always been "eager to expand contacts".
Putin said that while opportunities for maintaining ties with some countries were "limited in the current geopolitical situation" it was satisfying that Russia had "managed to preserve and develop relations with many European countries, including Hungary".
Putin also held informal talks with Indonesian President Joko Widodo on Tuesday night before a welcome dinner at the Great Hall of the People hosted by Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan.
Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine just days after a trip to Beijing in February 2022, calling it a response to the expansion of Nato and provocations from Europe. Since then, the Russian leader has largely stayed home, aside from trips to Central Asia, Iran, Armenia and Belarus.
He has missed regional and global meetings including the Group of 20, though he did join the Brics summit in July via video link.
Putin travelled to Beijing with a high-level delegation that included two deputy prime ministers, the government chiefs in charge of finance, development of the Far East and the Arctic, the head of the central bank, and chief executives of the country's energy giants, according to Russian news agency Tass.
This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright © 2023 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Copyright (c) 2023. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved.
Vladimir Putin feted at Xi Jinping's global Belt and Road summit
Tessa Wong - Asia Digital Reporter, BBC News
Wed, October 18, 2023 at 10:38 AM MDT·
Mr Xi and Mr Putin led the group of leaders into the Great Hall of the People in Beijing
ON THE RIGHT THE BUTCHER OF ETHIOPIA AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER
Russian leader Vladimir Putin was given the red carpet treatment at a global summit in Beijing, as China and Russia deepen their solidarity.
Hosted by China's President Xi Jinping, the meeting celebrated 10 years of his signature foreign and economic policy, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Mr Putin was the guest of honour among leaders and officials from more than 130 countries.
He has rarely left his country since invading Ukraine in February last year.
Not only is he facing increasing diplomatic isolation, he has also been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Mr Putin is highly unlikely to be arrested in China as Beijing is not a state party to the statutes of the ICC. He and Mr Xi are known for their close relationship, with the Chinese leader famously declaring their countries had a "no limits friendship" just before the war began.
Wednesday's proceedings kicked off with an opening ceremony held in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Mr Xi made his entrance together with Mr Putin, with the two striding into the hall shoulder-to-shoulder in front of other countries' leaders.
Mr Putin was also front and centre along with the Chinese president for the group photo, and was second to speak after Mr Xi. They later held a three-hour bilateral meeting, at which they discussed Ukraine and the Middle East.
Later, Mr Putin referred to the growing number of conflicts in the world. "All these outside factors are common threats and they strengthen Russian-Chinese co-operation," he told a news conference.
While Mr Putin had pride of place in previous Belt and Road summits, those events took place before Russia began its war on Ukraine.
China since then has come under criticism from the West for standing by Russia, even as it has also tried to show support for Ukraine.
Mr Putin and Mr Xi were front and centre of the group photo
On Wednesday Mr Putin was keen to return the favour. In his speech, he pledged support for Mr Xi's vast BRI project saying it was "in tune with Russian ideas" and praised "our Chinese friends" for their achievements.
The BRI has seen China pouring an estimated trillion dollars into investment and infrastructure projects around the world.
Addressing a roomful of delegates mostly from the so-called Global South group of developing countries, he also said that "Russia and China and the majority of states in the world share aspirations" for co-operation and economic progress.
Mr Putin's visit comes amid fears that China and Russia are building their own bloc to rival the West.
Both countries have publicly denounced the US-led "global hegemony" and have called for a "multipolar" world with more centres of power.
In the lead-up to the BRI's anniversary, China released two white papers positioning the BRI as the bedrock of a new world order, one that it casts as more just and inclusive.
Belt and Road: Is China's trillion-dollar gamble worth it?
Putin in China to strengthen anti-West coalition
In his speech littered with Silk Road references and colourful proverbs, Mr Xi continued to stress this point. He said the BRI "represents the advancing of our times and the right path forward", and was "on the right side of history".
He denounced "ideological confrontation, geopolitical rivalry and bloc politics", unilateral sanctions and "decoupling" supply chains. Beijing has often criticised Washington for leading what it sees as an unfair form of globalisation.
In contrast, the BRI has encouraged "win-win co-operation" where "the flame runs higher when everyone adds wood".
Mr Xi also laid out an eight-point plan on taking the BRI forward, including promoting smaller projects, "green development" and "integrity building".
The BRI has been widely lauded for spurring development in many countries, but has also been criticised for saddling borrowers with mountains of debt, damaging the environment, and fuelling corruption and wasteful projects.
The summit in Beijing has attracted countries mostly from Africa, South East Asia, and South America. Other attendees include Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and representatives from Afghanistan's Taliban government.
Mr Xi and Mr Putin led the group of leaders into the Great Hall of the People in Beijing
ON THE RIGHT THE BUTCHER OF ETHIOPIA AND NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER
Russian leader Vladimir Putin was given the red carpet treatment at a global summit in Beijing, as China and Russia deepen their solidarity.
Hosted by China's President Xi Jinping, the meeting celebrated 10 years of his signature foreign and economic policy, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Mr Putin was the guest of honour among leaders and officials from more than 130 countries.
He has rarely left his country since invading Ukraine in February last year.
Not only is he facing increasing diplomatic isolation, he has also been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged war crimes in Ukraine.
Mr Putin is highly unlikely to be arrested in China as Beijing is not a state party to the statutes of the ICC. He and Mr Xi are known for their close relationship, with the Chinese leader famously declaring their countries had a "no limits friendship" just before the war began.
Wednesday's proceedings kicked off with an opening ceremony held in Beijing's Great Hall of the People. Mr Xi made his entrance together with Mr Putin, with the two striding into the hall shoulder-to-shoulder in front of other countries' leaders.
Mr Putin was also front and centre along with the Chinese president for the group photo, and was second to speak after Mr Xi. They later held a three-hour bilateral meeting, at which they discussed Ukraine and the Middle East.
Later, Mr Putin referred to the growing number of conflicts in the world. "All these outside factors are common threats and they strengthen Russian-Chinese co-operation," he told a news conference.
While Mr Putin had pride of place in previous Belt and Road summits, those events took place before Russia began its war on Ukraine.
China since then has come under criticism from the West for standing by Russia, even as it has also tried to show support for Ukraine.
Mr Putin and Mr Xi were front and centre of the group photo
On Wednesday Mr Putin was keen to return the favour. In his speech, he pledged support for Mr Xi's vast BRI project saying it was "in tune with Russian ideas" and praised "our Chinese friends" for their achievements.
The BRI has seen China pouring an estimated trillion dollars into investment and infrastructure projects around the world.
Addressing a roomful of delegates mostly from the so-called Global South group of developing countries, he also said that "Russia and China and the majority of states in the world share aspirations" for co-operation and economic progress.
Mr Putin's visit comes amid fears that China and Russia are building their own bloc to rival the West.
Both countries have publicly denounced the US-led "global hegemony" and have called for a "multipolar" world with more centres of power.
In the lead-up to the BRI's anniversary, China released two white papers positioning the BRI as the bedrock of a new world order, one that it casts as more just and inclusive.
Belt and Road: Is China's trillion-dollar gamble worth it?
Putin in China to strengthen anti-West coalition
In his speech littered with Silk Road references and colourful proverbs, Mr Xi continued to stress this point. He said the BRI "represents the advancing of our times and the right path forward", and was "on the right side of history".
He denounced "ideological confrontation, geopolitical rivalry and bloc politics", unilateral sanctions and "decoupling" supply chains. Beijing has often criticised Washington for leading what it sees as an unfair form of globalisation.
In contrast, the BRI has encouraged "win-win co-operation" where "the flame runs higher when everyone adds wood".
Mr Xi also laid out an eight-point plan on taking the BRI forward, including promoting smaller projects, "green development" and "integrity building".
The BRI has been widely lauded for spurring development in many countries, but has also been criticised for saddling borrowers with mountains of debt, damaging the environment, and fuelling corruption and wasteful projects.
The summit in Beijing has attracted countries mostly from Africa, South East Asia, and South America. Other attendees include Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and representatives from Afghanistan's Taliban government.
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