Sybiha vows to sideline UN chief Orbán with coffee
The Ukrainian foreign minister joked that Kyiv would replicate a 2023 EU summit tactic to manage a potential Viktor Orbán tenure.
By Nina Patel ·
The United States administration is reportedly backing Viktor Orbán for the role of United Nations secretary-general. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded to the news with a plan to manage the former Hungarian leader if he takes the post.
Sybiha posted on X that he expects Orbán to use the skills he built while blocking decisions in the European Union. The minister predicted Orbán would apply his veto and blackmail tactics during his time at the UN.
The Ukrainian diplomat referenced a specific incident from a late 2023 EU summit. During that meeting, Orbán left the room, which allowed other leaders to approve opening accession negotiations with Ukraine. Budapest had previously threatened to veto that decision.
Sybiha stated that Ukraine intends to share this experience with the international community. He wrote that Kyiv can take Orbán out for coffee at the right moment to neutralize his influence.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington is promoting Orbán for the job, believing he has support from China and Russia. In May, investigators found that MAGA figures in the US Republican Party considered appointing Orbán to a UN role to shield him from Hungarian prosecution. Journalist Szabolcs Panyi added that Orbán is preparing to move to the United States if legal action begins in Hungary.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
