Pigeon on a Mission

Hungarian Prime-minister Viktor Orbán has done a lot of travel in a short period of time since Hungary became the EU Council rotating chair for six months on July 1, 2024. He calls it a “peace mission.” His X (Twitter) timeline has it all documented in glossy propaganda terms using a lot of euphemisms and strong imagery.

Stop 1 (July 2): Kyiv to talk with President Zelenskyy.

Translation from the right-wing demagoguery: Using my new position as a window dressing, I went to tell Zelenskyy that he should stop resisting Russia and start peace negotiations on Putin’s terms.

Stop 2 (July 5): Moscow to talk with Putin. European Union leaders immediately denounced the trip and pointed out that it was not sanctioned by the EU Council and Orbán did not represent it in the talks.

Translation: I reported to Putin about my talks with Zelenskyy who said to f*ck off with Putin’s ultimatum. I hope Putin still gives me the bonus he’d promised.

Stop 3 (July 6): Shusha, Azerbaijan, for the Turkic Countries’ summit

Translation: I delivered the message from Putin, who cannot travel internationally as a war criminal under the ICC arrest warrant, to his former vassals. He wants them to keep in line on Ukraine.

Stop 4 (July 7-9): Beijing to talk with Xi.

Translation: I briefed Xi on everything I’ve done on behalf of Putin so far. Xi approved. He wants to make sure NATO is not sending troops and weapons to Ukraine. Putin and Xi are on the same page.

While Orbán was in China, Russia destroyed children’s oncological hospital in Kyiv:

Translation: I cannot directly say the attack was done on Putin’s command. The brutality and intensity of war are the things of their own, the war has its own agency now and it doesn’t matter who’d started it first. It was so long ago. We need “peace” on my good master Putin’s terms.

Stop 5 (July 10-11): NATO summit in Washington, DC

Translation: On behalf of Hungary, I will tell NATO that I will block every effort to provide assistance and weapons to Ukraine. We need to force Ukraine to start negotiating with Russia.

Translation: the last part is for Trump, who wanted all NATO members to pay their fair share into the alliance.

Orbán also met with Erdogan during his Washington NATO trip.

Translation: Since Erdogan was not in Shusha, I briefed him on everything that happened there and other talks. He seems to have understood Putin’s message, but with this particular cunning Oriental you never know what’s on his mind. Also, f*ck the host – Biden – I’d rather meet on the NATO summit sidelines with another dictator and fellow NATO member.

Stop 6 (July 11): Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump.

Translation: I delivered the message and a gift from Putin to Trump. Trump is the real American President, not Biden. Trump will bring peace by giving Putin everything he wants of Ukraine on Day One of his presidency. I just love President Trump so much!

Orbán claims he is a peace dove on a mission. In reality, it is a globe-trotting Axes of Evil courier trip.

Orbán is nothing but a global dictator club’s messenger pigeon. And just like any pigeon, he flies into different places unexpected and uninvited, shits all over social and traditional media in self-aggrandizing messages, and flies to the next place.

Orbán does no good for anyone, including Hungary, which he turned into a right-wing autocracy since he became PM in 2010.

By all measures, he should be kicked out of the EU and NATO institutions that he is so actively undermining. If an aspiring EU/NATO member, eg. Georgia, behaved like Hungary under Orbán, it would have never been approved for membership.