Hungarian PM Viktor Orban Visits Ukraine, Urges Ceasefire to Speed Up Peace Talks

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made his first visit to Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion. He urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a ceasefire to speed up peace talks with Moscow.

Orban’s Proposal

Orban, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has criticized European support for Ukraine in the past. During his visit, he suggested that a ceasefire connected to a deadline could accelerate peace talks. He said, “I asked the president to think about whether we could reverse the order, and speed up peace talks, by making a ceasefire first.”

Ukraine’s Stance

Zelenskyy and many of Ukraine’s allies have previously dismissed any talks that would require Kyiv to sacrifice territory taken by force, stating that Putin cannot be trusted to honor any agreement.

Improving Relations

Orban expressed a desire to improve relations between Hungary and Ukraine, which have been strained due to his close relationship with Putin. He stated, “We would like to make the relationship between the two countries better. We would like to make a broad bilateral agreement with Ukraine, similar to the ones we already made with our neighbors.”

European Union and EPC

Orban has regularly attempted to block European Union initiatives offering further military and financial support to Kyiv. Hungary’s support for Russia at the United Nations and rejection of EU sanctions following Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014 have also been noted.

The European Political Community (EPC), a forum for 47 European countries, will meet on July 18 in the United Kingdom to discuss strategic challenges. Ukraine and Hungary are both members of the EPC, and it is expected that Ukraine will dominate the agenda.