Hungarian PM greets every leader except Keir Starmer after he arrives LATE for key summit.l
Viktor Orban embraced leaders from the EU, Ukraine, France, and Italy before leaving a late Sir Keir Starmer to make his own way into the summit.
Starmer was not greeted by Orban at the summit (Image: ITV)
Sir Keir Starmer turned up late to the European Political Community Summit in Budapest, meaning he missed out on a greeting from Hungarian leader Vik tor Orban.
Footage shared online showed Mr Orban embracing leaders from the EU, Ukraine, France, and Italy.
But as Sir Keir exited his vehicle outside the summit, he was left on his own before eventually being guided into the summit by an official.
The Labour Party leader was not welcomed in the same way as others because he had turned up late to the EU event and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had already started his speech.
Downing Street insisted the Prime Minister hadn’t been snubbed by Mr Orban, who was already leading a session at the summit at the time of his arrival.
The pair were later pictured shaking hands at the event.
Presidents and Prime Ministers from across Europe are meeting to discuss several issues, including Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Orban greeting Zelensky at the summit (Image: ITV)
Orban embracing Italian PM Giorgia Meloni (Image: ITV)
Keir Starmer finally meets Viktor Orban at EPC summit in Budapest (Image: Downing Street)
However, the reelection of President-elect Donald Trump in the US will undoubtedly also be a major talking point.
Ukraine could emerge as a major dividing point between Europe and the US after Mr Trump’s repeated refusal to commit to continuing support for Kyiv.
The EU itself has seen some division. While most leaders are firmly behind Ukraine, Hungary’s Mr Orban has angered other EU leaders by criticising the West’s strong stance against Russia.
During Mr Trump’s first term in office, he repeatedly criticised European allies for not meeting their NATO defence spending commitments.
Earlier this year, he stirred controversy when suggesting he would “encourage” Russia to attack countries that had not met their spending targets.
Donald Trump won the election this week (Image: getty)
He said: “NATO was busted until I came along. I said, ‘Everybody’s gonna pay.’ They said, ‘Well, if we don’t pay, are you still going to protect us?’ I said, ‘Absolutely not.’ They couldn’t believe the answer.
“No, I would not protect you. In fact, I would encourage them to do whatever the hell they want. You got to pay. You got to pay your bills.”
Following Mr Trump’s historic win, Sir Keir congratulated him via a post on X before having a phone call with him.
The Prime Minister said: “Good to speak with President-elect @realDonaldTrump to congratulate him on his historic victory. I look forward to working together.
“From defence and security to growth and prosperity, the relationship between the UK and US is incredibly strong and will continue to thrive for many years to come.”
