According to "Russia Today RT," on October 18 local time, Andras Laszlo, a Member of the European Parliament from Hungary, mocked European officials who criticized Hungary on social media, calling them "jealous children who feel ignored by Trump's father."

Andras Laszlo, a Member of the European Parliament from Hungary, screenshot from video

The controversy began with comments made by Carl Bildt, co-chair of the European External Action Service. On October 18, he posted that Hungary's Prime Minister Orbán would be "undoubtedly" happy about hosting the Russia-US summit in Budapest.

Bildt claimed that Orbán's party was lagging in opinion polls and that Hungary is "the most corrupt country in the EU," which put pressure on Orbán.

Subsequently, Radoslaw Sikorski, Poland's Foreign Minister, retweeted Bildt's post, adding: "(Hungary) is also the poorest."

"Russia Today RT" stated it was unclear what basis Sikorski had for his statement, as both Poland and Hungary have similar per capita GDP data, with Poland slightly ahead.

Laszlo then retweeted Sikorski's comment, directly stating that the latter's interaction with Bildt was "pitiful."

"The reason President Trump chose Hungary to meet Putin is because he trusts Orbán. Orbán has consistently insisted on restoring peace as soon as possible," Laszlo wrote.

He continued to mock, saying, "European politicians are acting like jealous children who feel ignored by Trump's father; they don't realize how embarrassed they look in front of the world."

Screenshot from Laszlo's social media

US President Trump posted on social media on October 16 that he had a long conversation with Russian President Putin discussing ending the Ukraine-Russia conflict and subsequent US-Russia trade, saying "great progress was made." Trump also said that he would hold a face-to-face meeting with Putin in Budapest, the capital of Hungary. He did not mention the date of the meeting.

According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Putin spoke with Orbán on October 17, and Orbán expressed willingness to provide necessary support for a potential Russia-US summit in Budapest.

Hungary is a NATO member and an EU member. In 1994, the US, UK, and Russia signed the Budapest Memorandum in Budapest, providing security guarantees to Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv giving up its nuclear weapons.

However, Orbán has had a poor relationship with the European Commission led by von der Leyen, with significant differences between the two sides on issues such as Ukraine, relations with China, and democratic issues.

Bo Tondendijk, a geopolitical analyst at Hongxue Consulting, said that choosing Budapest as the meeting location means Putin can "kill multiple birds with one stone."

"On one hand, he will hold talks on the Ukraine conflict in an EU country, while EU leaders are absent," he pointed out. "For Putin, this is a multi-layered blow to Europe in terms of symbolism, much stronger than holding meetings in Turkey or elsewhere."

Reuters mentioned that Orbán is one of the most well-known international supporters of Trump's 'Make America Great Again' (MAGA) movement, praised by the MAGA group for his strong stance on immigration and LGBTQ+ rights, and his focus on conservative Christian values. Trump recently said that Orbán is a "wonderful, great leader."

In August this year, the first Putin-Trump meeting took place in Alaska. At that time, European countries and Ukraine that wanted to "sit at the table" were anxious.

Orbán warned that Europe faces the risk of being "marginalized" on the Ukraine issue and suggested holding a Europe-Russia summit. He said that if Europe wants to have control over its future decisions, "it cannot act like a child slamming the door and throwing a tantrum."

This article is an exclusive contribution from Observers, and unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7562780507495334427/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author and is welcome to express your attitude via the [like/dislike] buttons below.