Victor Orban arrived in Ukraine for the first time since 2008, pushing the Kremlin’s agenda.

Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban arrived in Kyiv on July 2 for a meeting with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time in the last 16 years. This visit took place as Hungary settles into the presidency of the Council of the EU.

Budapest has repeatedly opposed Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the EU, sanctions against Russia, and undermined Western efforts to assist Ukraine while maintaining close relations with Moscow throughout the war. This has led to the deterioration of relations between Ukraine and Hungary, which were already tense.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to push the Russian agenda and urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a ceasefire to accelerate the end of the war with Russia. However, Kyiv replied that it sees its own approach as the path to peace.

During the meeting with Orban, Zelenskyy said they discussed the most critical issues of neighborly relations – trade, cross-border cooperation, infrastructure, energy, humanitarian aid, and living conditions for our people that live in both Hungary and Ukraine.