KYIV: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, an outspoken critic of Western navy help to Ukraine, paid a shock go to to Kyiv on Tuesday (Jul 2) for talks with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Orban, who has the warmest relations of any European chief with Russian President Vladimir Putin, arrived a day after Hungary assumed the rotating six-month presidency of the EU Council. It’s his first go to to Kyiv in additional than a decade.
“The purpose of the Hungarian presidency is to contribute to fixing the challenges forward of the European Union. That is why my first journey was to Kyiv,” Orban wrote on Fb beneath {a photograph} of him shaking fingers with Zelenskyy.
Individually, his press chief Bertalan Havasi informed Reuters in an electronic mail that the 2 leaders would focus on bilateral relations, saying “crucial matter of the talks is the possibility to create peace”, however gave no particulars.
Zelenskyy and Orban had been anticipated to ship statements to reporters afterward Tuesday.
Ties between the neighbours have come beneath heavy pressure since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on Feb 24, 2022, with Budapest typically opposing European Union efforts to help Kyiv.
Underneath Orban, who upset Western companions by holding talks with Putin final October, Hungary has repeatedly accused Ukraine of curbing the rights of roughly 150,000 ethnic Hungarians residing within the far west of Ukraine.
Kyiv has denied any such infringements however mentioned it should do every part to handle Budapest’s considerations, which centre across the ethnic Hungarian minority’s language rights and native-language education.
Ukraine is eager to safe Hungary’s backing because it depends closely on monetary and navy help from the 27-member EU, the place unanimity is required for a lot of choices.