Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Kiev today for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This is Orban’s first visit to Ukraine since the beginning of Kiev’s war with Moscow. The last time the Hungarian prime minister made an official visit was in 2010. The visit follows Hungary’s assumption of the EU presidency. European partners had pressured Orban to improve relations with the Ukrainian leadership, which had been cooled by the conflict unleashed by Russia.
L’Ukraine should consider accepting ‘quick ceasefire’ which allows for accelerate the start of negotiations with Russia to end the war, the Hungarian Prime Minister told the Ukrainian President. Hungary appreciates the peace initiatives developed by Ukraine, Orban added, stressing the willingness to improve relations with Kiev and to sign a bilateral cooperation agreement.
“Today, Prime Minister Viktor Orban and I discussed the fundamental issues of our neighborly relations: trade, cross-border cooperation, infrastructure and energy. We also talked about the humanitarian sphere, about everything that affects the lives of our people both in Ukraine and in Hungary,” Zelensky wrote on social media.
“The content of our dialogue today on all these issues can form the basis for a new bilateral document between our countries that will regulate all our relations, will be based on a mutual approach to bilateral relations between Ukraine and Hungary and will allow our peoples to enjoy all the benefits of European unity,” Zelensky added.
“NATO to send representatives to Kiev for aid ahead of Trump election”
NATO will meanwhile send a high-ranking representative to Kiev to coordinate long-term aid for Ukraine also in view of a possible election of Donald Trump as president of the United States. This is what the Wall Street Journal citing exclusively officials from NATO and the US administration. The final decision will be made during the Atlantic Alliance summit to be held next month in Washington, the sources added.
Naro is also establishing a new command in Wiesbaden, Germany, to coordinate the delivery of military equipment to Kiev and the training of Ukrainian troops. The operation, to be called NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine, will be managed by about 700 U.S. and other allied personnel from the 32-nation alliance.
Kiev Defense Minister Meets Pentagon Chief
Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov will meet with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin in Washington today, the Pentagon said, explaining that the talks will focus on military cooperation between the United States and Ukraine.
“Secretary Austin and Minister Umerov will discuss bilateral defense cooperation, regional security issues, and ways to strengthen the U.S.-Ukraine defense partnership,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said at a press conference.
The United States is the largest provider of military aid to Ukraine in the war that Russia launched in February 2022. Since then, President Joe Biden’s administration has provided Ukraine with more than $50 billion in military aid.
Russian Attack on Milgorod, Military Airport Hit
The Russian Armed Forces have meanwhile conducted a missile attack on the military airport of Mirgorod, in the Poltava region of central Ukraine. The Russian Defense Ministry reported, explaining that the raid destroyed five Su-27 jets that were parked at the air base.
Belarus envoy to Moscow, meeting with Lavrov
The head of the presidential administration in Belarus, former Belarusian ambassador to Russia Dmitry Krutoy met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in the Russian capital, with whom he discussed bilateral cooperation issues, the Belarusian embassy in Moscow said, while both Minsk and Kiev have massed troops at the border, accusing each other of trying to provoke an escalation.
