The EU is putting new pressure on Hungary's Orban over his outreach to Russia

BRUSSELS (AP) — Hungary won't be allowed to host a strategic EU meeting next month because of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s self-proclaimed “peace mission” trips to Moscow and Beijing this month aimed at brokering an end to the war in Ukraine, which EU partners overwhelmingly saw as undermining their support for Kyiv.

“We have to send a signal, even if it is a symbolic signal,” EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell said Monday in Brussels, explaining why he had decided that the upcoming foreign and defense ministers' meeting would take place in Brussels instead of Budapest.

Hungary currently holds the rotating EU presidency, and as such had expected to host the annual late August gathering known as the Gymnich in late August. This gathering should now be held in the EU capital in September, Borrell announced.

Orbán is seen as having the warmest relationship with Russia in the EU and is largely politically isolated in his stance on the Ukraine war. His government has held up sanctions on Moscow and huge tranches of military aid for Kyiv agreed by all other partners.

Before the decision was announced, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that the idea of moving the August meeting from Budapest to Brussels was a case of “fantastic revenge.” Szijjártó slammed what he called a “concerted, hysterical, often mocking series of attacks” on Orbán’s recent surprise meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jingping.

Only Slovakia’s deputy foreign minister had vocally offered support to Hungary’s “peace mission,” he noted. Speaking ahead of Borrell’s announcement, Szijjártó nonetheless signaled that he would still attend if the meeting were to be relocated to Brussels.

Borrell said Monday that while condemnation of Hungary’s recent behavior was widespread, the other EU member states had been divided between those who wanted to attend in Budapest and those who did not. Ultimately he said it was within his power to decide.

The nationalist Orbán startled his EU counterparts with the appearance that he was speaking for the 27-member bloc during his meetings with Putin and Xi. Orbán said he was seeking the quickest path to peace in Ukraine and portrayed himself as uniquely positioned to communicate with both warring parties.

Other EU leaders insisted that Orbán was not representing them at the meetings, and in response, some EU nations as well as the European Commission said their top officials would boycott informal EU meetings hosted by Hungary and send civil servants instead.

Hungary took over the six-month rotating role July 1, and since then Orbán has visited Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan, China, and the United States on a world tour he’s touted as “peace mission” aimed at brokering an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Orbán’s critics accuse him of acting against the unity and interests of the EU and NATO, of which Hungary is a member, and of pursuing an appeasement strategy toward Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine.

Justin Spike in Budapest contributed.

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, right, talks with European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Oliver Varhelyi during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, July 22, 2024. European Union foreign ministers on Monday meet to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, right talks with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, July 22, 2024. European Union foreign ministers on Monday meet to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne, right talks with Belgium's Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, left, and Slovenia's Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon, center, during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, July 22, 2024. European Union foreign ministers on Monday meet to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

Czech Republic's Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky, second right, greets Belgium's Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, left, as Romania's Foreign Minister Luminita-Teodora Odobescu, right, look on, ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, July 22, 2024. European Union foreign ministers on Monday meet to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, left, talks with Luxembourg's Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel, center, and Belgium's Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib, right, during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, July 22, 2024. European Union foreign ministers on Monday meet to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell talks with journalists as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, July 22, 2024. European Union foreign ministers on Monday meet to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, right, reads a document as he arrives for a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the European Council building in Brussels, Monday, July 22, 2024. European Union foreign ministers on Monday meet to discuss Russian aggression against Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East. (AP Photo/Geert Vanden Wijngaert)

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Cam Rising threw for 92 yards and two touchdowns before leaving the game due to an injury to his throwing hand as No. 11 Utah beat Baylor 23-12 on Saturday.

Rising scrambled and released the ball just before being driven out of bounds and was shoved into the water coolers on the Baylor sideline with 1:55 left in the second quarter and went to the locker room for X-rays.

Rising returned to the sidelines in street clothes with the middle fingers of his right hand taped together.

The team did not provide additional information about the quarterback's injury and Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said after the game only that Rising's injury is “not real serious.”

Backup quarterback Isaac Wilson led the Utes’ offense after halftime for a second straight game. Utah had only 95 yards in the second half with Wilson leading the offense.

“Certainly, when Cam left the game that was a downer for us,” Whittingham said. “But the world can’t stop turning when Cam exits a game. We got to keep playing, which we did, but we got to be productive, which we were not real productive on offense.”

Micah Bernard rushed for 118 yards to lead Utah (2-0).

Dequan Finn threw for 115 yards and a touchdown in his second start for Baylor (1-1). Finn struggled against Utah’s defense, losing a fumble and getting sacked three times.

“I think he got caught up and wanted to prove people wrong and wanted to make the play and do all these things,” Baylor coach Dave Aranda said. “And I think we’re still fighting that.”

Utah controlled play on both sides of the ball in the first half.

The Utes got on the board midway through the first quarter when Money Parks caught a short pass and turned it into a 28-yard reverse. Rising faked a handoff to Dijon Stanley before flipping the ball to Parks, who scored untouched.

Utah extended its lead to 14-0 on a 2-yard catch by Micah Bernard 20 seconds later. Connor O’ Toole forced Finn to fumble on a blindside hit and Karene Reid recovered the ball at the Baylor 3, setting up the Utes’ second touchdown.

Baylor had minus-10 yards on 10 plays in the first quarter.

Tao Johnson grabbed the ball on a blocked 50-yard field goal attempt and then raced 77 yards down the sideline to extend Utah’s lead to 23-0 with 5:21 left in the second quarter. Johnson was the first Utah player to score a touchdown off a blocked field goal since Jay Hill in 1999 against Wyoming.

It was also just the fifth touchdown off a blocked field goal in school history.

“I was debating on getting out of the way or catching it,” Johnson said. “And I was like, ‘Screw it, I’m gonna catch it.’ So I caught it, took off, and it was just green grass.”

THE TAKEAWAY

Baylor: The Bears had a nightmarish start on offense and never fully recovered. Baylor did not gain a first down until midway through the second quarter and totaled 48 yards by halftime.

Utah: Another dominant performance for the Utes came at a price. Rising suffered an apparent injury to his throwing hand and an extended absence could affect the trajectory of Utah’s season.

GETTING THE CALL

Wilson struggled to move the chains in his second career college game. The true freshman completed 4 of 9 passes for 30 yards. But he will start for Utah against in-state rival Utah State if Rising is unable to return to the lineup.

Whittingham expressed confidence in Wilson to get the job done if he ends up being the team's No. 1 quarterback for an indefinite period.

“He just needs to accrue reps,” Whittingham said. “He is taking steps forward. He’s our guy. He’s the no. 2 guy clearly right now. That’s where we’re at with Isaac.”

Wilson is eager to take a big step forward if he does get his first career start.

“I came into that situation out of nowhere but I got to be ready,” Wilson said. “I got to be there for my teammates. There’s a lot of plays I could have had back and we’re going to go into the film room and we’re going to evaluate that.”

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Utah should move into the top 10 in the next AP Poll on Sunday following the victory.

UP NEXT

Baylor: Hosts Air Force on Saturday.

Utah: At Utah State on Saturday.

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) throws against Baylor in the first half during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) tcarries the ball; against Baylor in the first half during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Utah quarterback Cameron Rising (7) runs past Baylor linebacker Keaton Thomas (11) in the first half during an NCAA college football game Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)