Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán made a surprise visit to Kyiv on July 2, 2024, for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. This marked the first trip by a European leader to the Ukrainian capital since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. Orbán's visit came a day after Hungary took over the rotating EU presidency, raising concerns among other European politicians due to Budapest's frequent clashes with Brussels over rule-of-law issues and foreign policy.
Orbán, who has been a vocal critic of western military and financial aid to Ukraine, is known for his close ties to Russia. He has long accused Kyiv of mistreating the Hungarian minority in Ukraine's western region of Zakarpattia. The talks between Orbán and Zelenskyy were expected to focus on possibilities for achieving peace and current issues in Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations.
Orbán's visit to Kyiv was preceded by lengthy negotiations on the issue of rights for Ukraine's Hungarian-speaking minority. An agreement was reached, allowing both sides to announce it as a success.
Despite Budapest's frequent criticisms of Ukraine, some skeptics have accused Orbán of using the issue of nationality rights as a smokescreen to promote Russian talking points over the conflict.
Orbán and Zelenskyy have clashed numerous times since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Orbán included Zelenskyy in a list of 'opponents' who had supposedly conspired against him, while the Ukrainian president personally called out the Hungarian leader for his lack of support to Kyiv in the days following Russia's invasion.
Orbán recently endorsed Mark Rutte to become the next head of NATO with an assurance that Hungary's forces and financial resources would not be committed to supporting Ukraine. However, Budapest did not block Nato decisions on providing support for Ukraine as long as Budapest was not involved in the aid.
