Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is likely to face scrutiny both from alliance leaders at the Nato summit in Washington on July 9 and from EU diplomats in Brussels on July 10 over his controversial "peace missions" to Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing without the backing of the European Commission or Ukraine.

EU ambassadors planned to discuss Orban’s recent travels at their Wednesday meeting, although this topic was relegated to a less prominent part of the agenda by Hungary, which currently holds the rotating EU presidency,  leftist Nepszava reported on July 9

The discussions are expected to address Hungary's interpretation of its role as an honest broker during its presidency, which kicked off on July 1. 

Concerns have been raised about Orban's ambiguous statements and the use of the EU presidency logo during his trips, suggesting he represented the EU rather than just Hungary. This has particularly angered EU leaders following Orban's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, where he implied EU representation but without any coordination with EU partners.

During a joint press briefing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Warsaw, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the Hungarian head of government should refrain from taking any actions in the name of Europe and Ukraine without the prior agreement of those sides. "He is not entitled to do anything on behalf of Europe and Ukraine without the prior agreement of Ukraine and Europe," he added.

There had been an attempt by the European Parliament to block Hungary's turn as the EU's rotating presidency because of the Orban regime's erosion of democracy and the rule of law, and its friendship with Vladimir Putin's Russia. The Hungarian Trumpist slogan for the presidency "Make Europe Great Again" also raised fears that have now been borne out.

“Member states were already irritated by the 'MEGA' motto. But a meeting with Putin will permanently overshadow the Hungarian presidency," an EU diplomat told Politico on Friday. “With such a meeting the presidency ends before it has really begun.”

Hungary’s leader arrived in Beijing early Monday, described as the third leg of a "peace mission," wrapping up a busy week in the first stage of Hungary’s rotating presidency. Orban kicked off the tour in Kyiv with his first visit to the war-torn country since the Russian invasion to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

While in Ukraine, his foreign minister secretly arranged a meeting with Vladimir Putin, after which Orban travelled to the meeting of the Organization of Turkic States in Azerbaijan, then finished his tour in Beijing with an unexpected visit to Beijing, his second head-to-head meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two months.

"We greatly value China's advocacy of peace as opposed to war in the world," he said in the meeting.

He praised Xi's visit to Hungary two months ago, where the two countries elevated their strategic relations to a new level, signing a "weighty agreement".

"Generations will benefit from that visit, from the memories of the visit you paid to Budapest," he added.

"The international community should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue and negotiations between the two sides and provide assistance," Xi told Orban, according to Chinese state media.

According to the head of the Prime Minister's Office, Gergely Gulyas, Hungary wants to communicate with all countries that could contribute to peace.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó accompanied Orbán and said that Hungarian-Chinese economic, trade, and investment cooperation will continue to support economic growth, with Chinese companies investing in Hungary and creating thousands of jobs. He stressed that Chinese companies are investing HUF6.4 trillion (€16.2 billion) in Hungary, creating around 25,000 jobs, and positioning the country as a hub for the global automotive revolution and technological innovation.

Orban's trips appear to have had little substance and to have served more to boost his image at home and among radical right-wing fellow travellers.

Analysts say the so-called peace mission is more of a PR stunt by the prime minister, who uses the occasion of Hungary’s rotating presidency to present himself as an influential leader on the international stage and as a dealmaker. Orban is counting on the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House to lead to the end of the conflict, allowing him to share in any credit.

Major global powers like the United States, China, Brazil, and Turkey have been seeking diplomatic solutions for over two years to the conflict, says Hungarian security policy analyst Andras Racz, who finds it unrealistic that Orban has a unique proposal that others have not thought of that would actually work.

The Hungarian leader managed to present his ideas without being ridiculed by the Ukrainians, he adds. However, Kyiv dismissed a proposal from the Hungarian leader to consider a ceasefire to "speed up peace talks".

Racz views the trip to Kyiv as an important first step in easing tense bilateral relations, as it marked the first visit to the war-torn country by Orban, and the parties discussed other issues such as guaranteeing the use of language for Hungarians.

The security policy expert was less positive about Orban's hastily arranged visit to Moscow, planned in utmost secrecy from Ukraine, where he was told that any resolution to the conflict would be on Russia’s terms.  Putin has used Orban to try to drive a wedge in the EU ranks and reiterate his ultimatum, which made the Hungarian prime minister look ridiculous, he adds.

According to Racz, Orban may be convinced that Ukraine cannot emerge as the winner in the war, or he truly believes he can mediate between the warring parties.

Two days after Orban’s visits, Russian missiles hit a children’s hospital in the Ukrainian capital, killing several dozen people in the worst attack since the start of the war. After the atrocious attack, Volodymyr Zelensky has initiated an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council in response to the strike, which he said amounted to an "act of terror," and he is expected to appeal for more military support at the NATO summit in Washington on July 9.

"While the useful idiots are rambling about peace with Putin, he is sending missiles to a children's hospital" Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavský tweeted.

EU states quickly condemned the attack, while the Hungarian government has been silent.