EU foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell plans to convene the bloc's foreign ministers for his own "formal" council meeting at the same time that EU Council presidency holder Hungary has scheduled a similar gathering in August, according to "three diplomats with direct knowledge of the plan" quoted by the Politico website. There has been no confirmation from Borrell. His purported move follows Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's uncoordinated shuttle diplomacy with Ukraine, Russia, and China in the first week of Hungary's six-month term in the EU presidency, which enraged EU officials and many member states, who stressed that he was not acting on their behalf.
Borrell Quietly Leading EU Boycott Of Foreign Ministers' Summit In Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (left) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin in Moscow, in a handout picture released by Orban's office on July 5.