During a press conference in Kiev, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky showed a world of distance in their positions on the war in Ukraine. Orban, known for his closeness to Putin, called for an “immediate ceasefire” to speed up peace negotiations with Russia, a demand without preconditions that no other European leader had ever made in Ukraine.
Zelensky retorted by stressing that Ukraine seeks a “just peace” without concessions to Moscow, urging Orban to join Ukrainian efforts and maintain European support, especially in terms of military aid against Russian aggression. This exchange comes in the context of the Hungarian presidency of the EU, with Zelensky insisting on the importance of continued European support.
The tension between the two leaders is not new. They recently had a heated exchange of views during a summit in Brussels. Orban wanted to send a clear message to both his European colleagues and Zelensky, reaffirming his divergent position from other EU leaders on many issues related to Ukraine.
While Budapest presented the visit as an opportunity to discuss peace, Zelensky reportedly discussed trade, cross-border cooperation, infrastructure, energy and humanitarian issues. Meanwhile, the Kremlin downplayed the importance of Orban’s visit, noting that there were no expectations or prior discussions with Moscow.
In parallel, Hungarian Foreign Minister Szijjarto held talks with his Russian counterpart Lavrov, also discussing the Ukrainian crisis, with a focus on the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, a further source of tension between Budapest and Kiev.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin continues his international maneuvers, meeting with Xi Jinping and Turkish President Erdogan in Astana. Putin reiterated his conditions for peace with Ukraine, which include control of five Ukrainian regions and Kiev’s renunciation of NATO membership ambitions, demands unacceptable to Zelensky.
On the military front, Ukraine has received a new aid package from the United States worth $2.3 billion, but results on the ground are still being seen. Moscow said it destroyed seven Ukrainian military jets in a strike on Myrhorod airport, while Kiev is still waiting for the promised F-16s to arrive.
