Orbán meets Zelenskyy in Kyiv while Hungarian FM calls Lavrov
The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Budapest initiated the call, where both sides praised their "political dialogue."
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó held a phone call with Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on 2 July, coinciding with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s visit to Kyiv – his first since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
The Russian Foreign Ministry reported that Hungary initiated the call, during which both sides praised their “political dialogue” and stressed the need for Ukraine to ensure minority rights.
Meanwhile in Kyiv, Orbán met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Orbán stated he came “to better understand how to help Ukraine” shortly after Hungary assumed the EU Council presidency.
Following their negotiations, Zelenskyy and Orbán agreed to work on a bilateral relations agreement to resolve issues between the two countries.
Additionally, during the talks, Orbán suggested to Zelenskyy to negotiate a ceasefire with Russia and then enter into negotiations, but did not insist on this idea.
Hungary, known as the EU’s most pro-Russian member, consistently opposes the union’s collective military aid to Ukraine. The country has refused to send weapons to Kyiv and remains the sole EU state maintaining ties with the Kremlin since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Read more:
- Hungarian PM Orbán arrives in Kyiv
- Hungarian PM Orbán offers Zelenskyy to consider ceasefire to speed up peace talks
- Hungary wants to redirect its European Peace Facility funds away from Ukraine aid
You could close this page. Or you could join our community and help us produce more materials like this.
We keep our reporting open and accessible to everyone because we believe in the power of free information. This is why our small, cost-effective team depends on the support of readers like you to bring deliver timely news, quality analysis, and on-the-ground reports about Russia's war against Ukraine and Ukraine's struggle to build a democratic society.
A little bit goes a long way: for as little as the cost of one cup of coffee a month, you can help build bridges between Ukraine and the rest of the world, plus become a co-creator and vote for topics we should cover next. Become a patron or see other ways to support.
