EU Officials Consider Boycott of Hungarian Meetings Amid Tensions

EU officials are planning to boycott informal meetings hosted by Hungary while the country holds the EU's rotating presidency. The decision comes after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited several countries, including Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, China, and the United States, which has been met with dismay from many European leaders. Orbán described his trip as a "peace mission" aimed at resolving the conflict in Ukraine, but his visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin on July 5 was particularly controversial. EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen has ordered top EU officials to skip a series of meetings in Hungary due to the backlash over Orbán's actions.