Only three European leaders received New Year’s greetings from Vladimir Putin, a detail highlighted by Daily News Hungary. The leaders representing the two largest blocs in Europe and the United States did not receive such wishes as the year turned over.
The Kremlin’s goodwill messages were sent to the Vatican, where Pope Francis, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the prolonged conflict, urged an immediate halt to hostilities. The pope consistently presented an approach that appeared to balance the roles of aggressor and victim, an stance that drew varied interpretations from observers around the world. In a subsequent address to Russian Catholics, Francis urged reflection on Russia’s historical legacy and called for a sense of unity and peace among all people. The Kremlin spokesman expressed satisfaction with the pope’s remarks, signaling alignment and strategic messaging in the broader religious and political landscape.
Friendly capitals
The second European recipient of Putin’s New Year wishes was the president of Serbia, Alexander Vučić, a leader whose country has not joined Western sanctions against Russia and has pursued a path of closer engagement with Moscow despite mounting international pressures.
The third recipient was Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, noted as the only EU leader to meet President Putin since the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president. During their October meeting, Orbán emphasized that Hungary did not aspire to confront Russia but aimed to cultivate the closest possible ties with it, a stance that drew scrutiny from Western allies while resonating with segments inside Hungary and its neighboring region.
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