The hard-line prime minister accused Germany of trying to pass the buck for its “mistake” letting in so many people by sending them to other countries under an EU quota scheme. He launched into a vicious tirade as he arrived in Brussels for a meeting of the EU Council this morning, vowing once again that Hungary will not accept the controversial policy. The get together of the 28 European heads of Government is expected to be dominated by the humanitarian crisis in Aleppo and the possibility of further sanctions against Russia.

AFP/EPA Hungary's Viktor Orban launched a furious attack on Angela Merkel today

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But Mr Orban was more keen to talk about the issue of migration, claiming that the majority of arrivals in Europe are “economic migrants” and not genuine refugees. He blasted: “We are still fighting over the mandatory migrant quotas. The Hungarians don't want what the Germans, or to be precise, Angela Merkel demands. “The Germans and other countries who made the mistake of letting these people into the EU are now trying to share them out, so every country also inherits their problem. Hungary doesn't like this approach.”

EU/AFP Theresa May has been given some support by Lithuania's leader

AFP Federica Mogherini swatted away questions about Brexit

Mr Orban also set himself on the warpath with eurocrats by vowing to do everything in his power to block the scheme, which 98 per cent of Hungarians who voted rejected in a national referendum earlier this year. Elsewhere as EU leaders arrived for the summit this morning Lithuania's leader swatted aside the suggestion that it could take at least a decade to negotiate a Brexit trade deal with Britain. The country's president failed to hide her scepticisim when presented with the claim, which was made by the UK's ambassador in Brussels. A visibly stunned Dalia Grybauskaite gasped: "Ten years? I hope it will be a lot less!" The leader of the tiny Baltic state expressed sympathy for Theresa May's attempts to negotiate a sensible deal with Brussels, and said her country would use its influence to press for constructive talks.

The Hungarians don't want what the Germans, or to be precise, Angela Merkel demands Hungary PM Viktor Orban

Asked what she would say to the UK prime minister at today's meeting of the EU Council, she replied: "That I understand how difficult it will be for her to negotiate, because of course she will be negotiating practically against 27". She added: "But having in mind Britain is important from an economic and security point of view, I don’t expect that it will be rivals. It will be partners talking about British and European Union relations for the future." Other EU leaders were far more tight-lipped on Brexit as they arrived at the organisation's headquarters in Brussels for the crunch talks today. Several, including Greece's Alexis Tsipras and Belgium's Charles Michel, answered questions on the day's other agenda items but conspiciously fled the cameras when the thorny subject of Britain was raised. And others stuck rigidly to the European Union's official policy that there can be "no negotiation without notification", reiterating their calls for Mrs May to trigger Article 50 as soon as possible.

EU summit 2016: EU leaders meet Fri, October 21, 2016 EU Leaders meet to discuss migration, trade and Russia, including its role in Syria, it will be also the first summit attended by new British Prime Minister Theresa May. Play slideshow AFP/Getty Images 1 of 29 Italy's Prime minister Matteo Renzi (L) speaks with Luxembourg's Prime minister Xavier Bettel during the second day of an European Union leaders summit