A Nato critic, Hungary PM Orban visits Ukraine for first time since Russian invasion

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban has arrived in Ukraine on his first visit to the war-ravaged country since the beginning of the Russian invasion.

Orban, the far-right leader of Hungary, is set to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy during the visit.

Orban’s visit to Ukraine comes as a surprise as he is the most pro-Russia leader in Europe and remains the closest ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin in Europe. He has been the most vocal critic of the European Union’s (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) support to Ukraine in the war with Russia. He has also blocked European financial aid packages to Ukraine.

Orban met Putin in October 2023 — the first EU leader to meet him after the war in Ukraine. He also opposes sanctions on Russia.

While not much has been said about Orban’s visit, his Press Secretary Bertalan Havasi was quoted as saying that the agenda was building peace.

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“The most important topic of discussion is the possibility of building peace,” AFP quoted Havasi as saying. He was further quoted as saying that the meeting with Zelenskyy will focus on bilateral relations.

Orban’s visit coincides with the beginning of Hungary’s EU presidency. In the EU’s rotation system, a member holds it for six months. It is expected that Orban will seek to influence the bloc’s policies for the next six months with his newfound sway. On his part, Zelenskyy has said that he wishes Hungary would be effective in promoting European values of values, goals, and interests.

“While advancing on its path to the EU, Ukraine is ready to contribute to these efforts and strengthen our Europe,” said Zelenskyy, as per AFP.

Orban has dubbed Zelenskyy an ‘opponent’

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The Orban-Zelenskyy relationship has been frosty as both have hit out each other. While Orban dubbed Zelenskyy as an “opponent” at the time of 2022 Hungarian elections, Zelenskyy has called out Orban for his lack of support to Ukraine in the war with Russia.

Months of negotiations went into making this visit and the anticipated meeting happen, according to AFP.

So far, Hungary has wielded influence over the Western support to Ukraine as the country is a member of both the NATO and EU. It has been seeking to water down aid packages and statements and is thwarting the building of a consensus as it remains pro-Russia.