Orbán’s travel agenda isn’t aimless; he is intentionally seeking to agitate Brussels. His remarks on his global tour — calling for “peace talks” with Putin and claiming to be the only European leader that “can speak to everyone” — mirrored Kremlin rhetoric and outraged the rest of the EU.

Orbán is making bold maneuvers in the European Parliament (EP), too. His newly formed far-right political group, Patriots for Europe, recruited enough MPs to become formally recognized on July 6. Two days later, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) party joined the Patriots, making it the third-largest group in the EP.

At home, Orbán [is] a man “running around like a cat on meth,” who meets for a “peace mission” with Putin just 48 hours before the Russian air force intentionally strikes a children’s hospital in Kyiv, far from any military target or essential infrastructure.

Orbán’s globe-trotting, his parading as a powerful president of Europe, his instigating the EU and its allies while pretending to play to both sides [is] not coming from a position of strength: A combination of personal ambitions, domestic political weaknesses, and severe economic troubles have backed Orbán into a corner where posturing is the only choice.