War in Ukraine - Hungary's Prime Minister Orban in Kiev for the first time since the start of the war
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made his first visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion. "Viktor Orban arrived in Kiev this morning to speak with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy about European peace," wrote Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs on the X platform on Tuesday. According to media reports, Orban's convoy first went to the Hungarian embassy. Relations between Kiev and Budapest are tense.
Hungary has recently taken over the EU Council Presidency for six months. Orban had announced in an interview before his trip to Kiev that he intended to take steps towards peace.
Delays in Aid for Ukraine
In the past, Orban has delayed aid for the Russia-attacked Ukraine and repeatedly tried to prevent sanctions against Moscow. Hungary is still heavily dependent on Russian gas supplies, which partially flow through Ukraine despite the war. However, Kiev does not intend to renew the contract, which expires at the end of the year.
Another contentious issue is the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine, whom Orban has positioned himself as the protector of for years. During a football match, Orban provoked with a scarf featuring the outline of Greater Hungary from 1920, which at the time included the currently Ukrainian Transcarpathia. Orban was last in Ukraine in 2012. At the time, the later Russian fugitive Viktor Yanukovych was still president - and the Crimea had not yet been annexed by Russia.
- During his visit to Kiev, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with the Head of state of Ukraine, Volodymyr Selensky.
- Orban's visit to Ukraine comes at a time when Hungary holds the EU Council Presidency for six months.
- Despite the ongoing war in Ukraine, Moscow remains a concern for discussions between Orban and Selensky in Kiev.
- Budapest and Kiev have faced tensions in their relations, which Orban aimed to address during his visit to the Head of state in Budapest.
- Viktor Yanukovych, the former president of Ukraine, was a point of contention during Orban's last visit to Kiev in 2012, when the Russia-Ukraine conflicts were less prominent.
- Hungary, as a member of the EU, has taken a diplomatic stance in supporting Ukraine, though its heavy reliance on Russian gas supplies has occasionally led to delays in aid for the war-torn country.
- The rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine have served as another major point of contention between Budapest and Kiev, with Orban advocating for their protection during his visits.
