Unexpected visit: Orban in Kyiv to discuss Europe's peace

Viktor Orban appeared unexpectedly in Kyiv. This is the first visit of the Hungarian leader to Ukraine since the outbreak of the full-scale war. "Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Kyiv this morning to discuss peace in Europe with President Volodymyr Zelensky," informed Hungarian government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs.

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

Journalists asked Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov about Orban's visit to Ukraine. "We expect nothing, and it's probably not for us to comment on this matter," he replied.

"It is obvious that Hungary, which has assumed the presidency of the EU, must fulfill its functions. Therefore, in this case, the priority will be fulfilling duties considering Brussels' interests, not national interests," added the Kremlin spokesman.

However, Peskov emphasized that "Orban is known as a politician who knows how to defend his country's interests very firmly."

The Reuters agency wrote that 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 Russian invasion began in February 2022.

A longstanding issue in Hungary-Ukraine relations remains the approximately 100,000-strong Hungarian minority in Ukraine's Transcarpathia region. Budapest demands that Kyiv restore the provisions from before 2017, which was before the educational law came into effect and which, according to Orban's government, targets the Hungarian minority. In 2012, the Hungarian language also lost its status as a regional language in Transcarpathia.

Source: Ria Novosti, PAP, WP Wiadomości