The Hungarian PM is said to have held a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss peacemaking prospects and the status of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
ADVERTISEMENTHungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was in Kyiv early on Tuesday in his first trip to neighbouring Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion more than two years ago.
During his visit, Orbán, one of the EU’s most pro-Russian leaders, met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Earlier on Tuesday, Orbán’s press chief Bertalan Havasi told Hungarian news agency MTI that the main topic of the meeting was set around the topics of peacebuilding prospects as Ukraine fights off Moscow forces, adding that the two leaders would also discuss current issues related to Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations.
Orbán is known as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest ally in the European Union and has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down EU efforts to extend assistance to Ukraine.
He has long accused Kyiv of mistreating the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine’s western region of Zakarpattia, a topic that was also supposed to be discussed during his trip to Ukraine.
The visit comes as Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union.
The presidency's role is to set the agenda, chair meetings of EU members in all fields except foreign policy or eurozone matters, seek consensus among member states and broker agreements on legislation with the European Parliament.
However, there have been concerns because of Orbán's many clashes with Brussels in recent months.
Hungary has a history of blocking measures to deny providing billions of euros in military aid to Ukraine, which has caused frustration among other member states.
Ahead of its assumption of the EU presidency, the bloc hurried through a new set of sanctions against Russia and launched membership talks with Ukraine.