Orban's unexpected Kyiv visit: Peace talks with Zelensky

The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, arrived in Kyiv on an unannounced visit. He will meet with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky. This is the first visit of the Hungarian Prime Minister to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale attack on the country.

"Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Kyiv this morning to discuss peace in Europe with President Volodymyr Zelensky," announced Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs.

"The talks will focus on possibilities for achieving peace, as well as current issues in Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations," added Kovacs.

The Guardian reported the visit overnight. "Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is expected to travel to Kyiv on Tuesday, according to three sources with knowledge of the plans, in a surprise visit for one of Europe’s most pro-Russian leaders, which comes as Hungary takes over the rotating presidency of the EU," the British portal reported.

This is Viktor Orban's first visit to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion more than two years ago.

Viktor Orban, the closest ally of Vladimir Putin among EU leaders, has repeatedly opposed many EU initiatives aimed at supporting Ukraine in its defense against Moscow's aggression since the invasion began in February 2022.

A longstanding issue in relations between Hungary and Ukraine is the approximately 100,000-strong Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region. Budapest demands that the Ukrainian authorities restore the provisions in place before 2017, before the enactment of the education law, which the Orban government claims harms the Hungarian minority. Moreover, in 2012, the Hungarian language lost its status as a regional language in Zakarpattia.

Source: PAP, The Guardian, Reuters