Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Kyiv on July 2 to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy for the first time in 16 years.

The visit took place against the backdrop of Hungary’s presidency of the EU Council. Budapest has repeatedly opposed Ukraine’s accession to NATO and the EU, sanctions against Russia, and undermined Western efforts to help Ukraine by maintaining close relations with Moscow throughout the war. This led to a deterioration in relations between Ukraine and Hungary, which were already tense.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to push the Russian agenda and has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a ceasefire to speed up the end of the war with Russia. However, Kyiv responded that it has its own approach to peace.

During the meeting with Orban, Zelenskyy said, they discussed the most pressing issues of good neighborly relations – trade, cross-border cooperation, infrastructure, energy, humanitarian aid, as well as the living conditions of people living in both Hungary and Ukraine.