Zelensky holds 'focused' call with Orban, invites him to peace summit

President Volodymyr Zelensky held "a lengthy and focused" call with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on May 8, Zelensky wrote on X.

Zelensky invited Orban to Ukraine's peace summit, which will be held in Switzerland on June 15-16.

Leaders of several European countries confirmed that they would be attending the event. Some 160 national delegations will be reportedly invited to the talks.

"Hungary's position is important to us in terms of bringing peace closer and of our shared regional security," the president said.

The two also discussed the next steps "to resolve the full range of bilateral issues in a mutually beneficial manner" as well as Ukraine's accession to the European Union, according to Zelensky.

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Ukraine Weekly By Olga Rudenko

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"I underscored Ukraine's interest in good-neighborly relations with Hungary, as well as in the development of cooperation in trade, energy, and logistics," he added.

Hungary is the only EU country to have maintained close ties with the Kremlin since the launch of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Budapest has repeatedly opposed sanctions against Moscow and obstructed EU support for Kyiv.

Zelensky and Orban were last seen talking on the sidelines of the inauguration of Argentina's President Javier Milei on Dec. 10, 2023, which Ukraine's president described as a "frank" conversation.

Olha Stefanishyna, the deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration, said in January that Ukraine was working to organize an official visit by Orban, the first in 14 years.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto later said that the time for Orban to meet Zelensky had not yet come.

Read also: Hungarian official says ‘positive signs’ in talks with Ukraine on national minorities

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