Orbán-Zelenskiy Meet: Exploring the Potential of Hungarian-Ukrainian Partnership Amidst Tensions over EU Aid

During a recent meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Orbán expressed his interest in building stronger relations between their countries and signing a cooperation agreement with Ukraine. Despite the excitement surrounding this potential partnership, the specific terms of the agreement remain unclear.

In the past, tensions have emerged over EU aid to Ukraine, with Orbán initially vetoing it before eventually allowing it to pass. He assured NATO that Hungary would not hinder their assistance program as long as Hungary did not have to participate in it.

Hungary’s stance on achieving peace in the Ukraine war differs from that of other NATO states, but Orbán acknowledged that they cannot change the significant differences in opinion. As part of the EU Council Presidency, he emphasized the importance of peace in Ukraine for the security of Europe as a whole. Budapest remains skeptical about Ukraine’s EU accession negotiations, believing that membership alone will not end the war.

During his visit to Kyiv, Orbán offered support for modernizing Ukraine and recognized progress in solving issues facing the Hungarian minority in the country. The two politicians agreed to open the first school for Ukrainian-speaking children in Hungary. Overall, both Orbán and Zelenskiy seemed satisfied with the results of their meeting, even if it did not lead to significant changes on a larger scale.