Orbán's peace missions and a Warsaw security pact
A look back at the diplomacy around Ukraine in the days leading up to 11 July 2024, from Moscow and Beijing to Warsaw.
What was the state of diplomacy around the war in Ukraine on 11 July 2024? The days before that date were crowded with visits and agreements, several of them pulling in different directions.
The most contentious thread was the travel of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and on 5 July 2024 he met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. That meeting prompted condemnation among European Union member states. Orbán described his trips as "peace missions", and on 8 July 2024 he made an unannounced visit to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, following the Moscow talks.
The meetings were not coordinated, and they took place amid heightened tensions over the Russian invasion. China had been increasing its diplomatic ties to Russia while the European Union and the United States imposed economic sanctions. Orbán's itinerary was also to include a trip to the United States, where he was to attend the 2024 Washington summit and meet Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago, according to later accounts of the tour.
Warsaw and Moscow
On 8 July 2024, Zelenskyy and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk signed a security agreement in Warsaw. It allowed Poland to shoot down Russian missiles inside Ukrainian airspace.
The same day, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Moscow, his first trip to Russia since the start of the invasion.
A split picture
Taken together, the events of 5 to 8 July 2024 showed a contrast. Poland and Ukraine formalised closer security cooperation, while Orbán's contacts with Putin and Xi drew criticism from EU states, and Modi's visit to Moscow added another high-level meeting with the Russian leadership. By 11 July 2024, these visits and agreements were the backdrop to continuing diplomacy over the war.
