Hungary announced that it will not host an EU gathering following a recent conflict with a Putin ally regarding Ukraine.

• Budapest has lost the right to host the next EU foreign ministers gathering due to its stance on the Ukraine war, which marks the latest conflict between the bloc and Hungary.
• The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, announced Monday that the upcoming gathering of foreign ministers will occur in Brussels instead of Hungary.
• The rotating EU presidency is currently held in Budapest, so such ministerial meetings would be expected to occur there.

The European Union has removed Hungary's right to host a future meeting of its ministers because of its stance on the war in Ukraine.

The EU's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, announced on Monday that the upcoming meeting of EU foreign and defense ministers will take place in Brussels instead of Hungary, which is currently holding the rotating six-month EU presidency.

Borrell stated that sending a signal, regardless of its symbolic nature, against the European Union's foreign policy will have consequences.

After all EU foreign minister meetings on Monday criticized Hungary's stance on Kyiv, Russia, and the war in Ukraine, Borrell announced that the next gathering would take place in Brussels.

The EU and Budapest have experienced heightened tensions following Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's unsupported "peace mission" to Ukraine, Russia, and China in July. Orban, who is perceived as an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has since angered Brussels by characterizing EU policy on Ukraine as "pro-war."

On Monday, EU foreign ministers expressed their reluctance to attend the upcoming gathering of foreign and defense ministers in Budapest, which is scheduled for late August.

Borrell stated that all member states, except for one, are highly critical of Hungary's behavior. He believed it was necessary to express this sentiment and call for the next foreign and defense council meetings in Brussels.

Borrell insisted that the meeting would work with the full participation of all member states, despite his earlier statement that the move was not a "boycotting" of Hungary.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó characterized the removal of Hungary as the host of the 2022 FIFA World Cup as "juvenile," stating to reporters, "I don't want to offend anyone, but it's likely a discussion at the kindergarten level," according to Reuters.

Unease grows

Hungary's ongoing diplomatic relations and energy ties to Russia have frequently put it at odds with the EU over Ukraine.

The latest development in the relationship between the EU and Hungary is the removal of Hungary's right to host the next informal meeting of EU foreign ministers. The European Commission had previously prevented EU Commissioners from attending meetings held in Hungary during its presidency, which began in July.

Hungary, situated on the EU's eastern border, supports a cease-fire and negotiations to resolve the conflict in Ukraine instead of relying on continued EU aid that prolongs the war. Budapest believes that Russia's military superiority makes the conflict unresolvable.

Kyiv firmly rejects the position that it is being helped by the EU and NATO to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty after Russia's unprovoked invasion. The EU condemned Orban's recent meeting with Putin in Moscow, stating that "appeasement" would not stop the Russian leader.

Last week, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban informed CNBC that there is no resolution to the conflict in Ukraine through military means and that his goal is to alter EU policy on the issue.

Orban stated that his job is to persuade them to shift from a pro-war stance to a pro-peace stance.

Orban stated in an interview with CNBC at the European Political Community in England that he disagrees with the belief that the Russians can be destroyed militarily, as he has knowledge of the Soviet Union, Ukraine, and the context of the conflict. He emphasized that finding a solution on the battlefield is impossible and that it will result in the loss of innocent lives every day.

Losing human life is the most valuable thing we can lose, and we do it daily in thousands and thousands. We must stop it. As a neighboring country, this is my opinion. The solution lies on the negotiation table, ceasefire negotiation table, which I am trying to convince them. However, it takes time.