(MENAFN) Polish President Karol Nawrocki has decided to shorten his upcoming visit to Hungary in response to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s recent trip to Moscow. The announcement was made Sunday by Marcin Przydacz, Poland’s presidential state secretary, via a post on X.

Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday to discuss issues including Ukraine, trade, and energy supplies, despite the EU’s diplomatic boycott of Russia over the ongoing conflict. The Hungarian prime minister has frequently criticized the EU’s stance toward Moscow and opposed sanctions, advocating for peace talks.

Nawrocki had been scheduled to travel to Hungary on December 3 for a two-day visit, which included attending a Visegrad Group summit with leaders from Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia, and holding a bilateral meeting with Orban in Budapest. The second day, including the one-on-one meeting, has now been canceled.

Przydacz explained that Nawrocki would limit his visit “solely to the summit of Visegrad Group presidents,” citing the security legacy of the late Polish President Lech Kaczynski and the need for European unity, particularly regarding energy issues.

On Saturday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto defended Orban’s Moscow trip, dismissing criticism from what he described as “European pro-war politicians.” He stressed that Hungary conducts a sovereign foreign policy based on national interests.

Szijjarto’s comments came in response to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said Orban had traveled to Moscow “without a European mandate,” and Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob, who claimed that the Hungarian leader “has not been playing for the European team for some time.”

Hungary has notably refrained from sending weapons to Kiev and has resisted placing sole blame for the war on Russia. During the Kremlin meeting, Putin expressed appreciation for Orban’s “reasonable position on the Ukraine issue.”

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