No EU mandate for Hungary's Orbán to visit Russia, top diplomat says

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán does not represent the European Union "in any form" in an expected trip to Russia, top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said on Friday.

Orbán's "visit to Moscow takes place, exclusively, in the framework of the bilateral relations between Hungary and Russia," Borrell stressed in a scathing statement.

"Prime Minister Orbán has not received any mandate from the EU Council to visit Moscow," Borrell said, referring to the EU body that represents the 27 EU member states.

Borrell underlined that while Budapest holds the rotating presidency of the EU this does not have any official powers for Orbán to represent the EU abroad.

This rests with European Council President Charles Michel and with the bloc's high representative, the position currently held by Borrell.

The top EU diplomat also noted that "Putin has been indicted by the International Criminal Court and an arrest warrant released for his role in relation to the forced deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia."