Kyiv says it has a plan if Orbán takes top UN job

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha outlined a specific diplomatic tactic on Sunday in response to reports that the US administration is backing Viktor Orbán for the role of UN secretary-general.

Sybiha stated he is confident that Orbán would utilize his experience in blocking European Union decisions if he reaches the post. He predicted the former Hungarian prime minister would apply the "masterful veto and blackmail skills" he developed over years of derailing major EU decisions.

The minister referenced a specific incident from late 2023 to illustrate his approach. During an EU summit, leaders approved the opening of accession negotiations with Ukraine after Orbán left the meeting room. This action prevented Budapest from using its veto to stop the decision.

Sybiha suggested Ukraine could replicate that maneuver on a global stage. He wrote that the country can share its experience of taking Orbán out for coffee at the right moment to manage his influence.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the US administration is promoting Orbán for the position, counting on support from China and Russia. Investigative journalists reported in May that figures in the MAGA wing of the US Republican Party considered a scenario where an Orbán appointment would shield him from prosecution in Hungary.

Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi said Orbán is preparing to flee to the United States should he face legal action in Hungary. The US promotion of the former prime minister places him in direct competition with other candidates for the most influential diplomatic post in the world.