Hungary's Orbán Makes First War-Time Visit to Ukraine

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Facts

• Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Tuesday made his first visit to Ukraine since the country was plunged into war more than two years ago.¹
• The visit by Orbán, widely considered Europe's most pro-Russia leader and a frequent critic of Western military aid to Ukraine, comes a day after Hungary assumed the rotating EU presidency for the remainder of the year.²
• In a Facebook post as the Hungarian leader arrived in the Ukrainian capital, Orbán said: 'The aim of the Hungarian presidency is to contribute to the solution of the challenges facing the European Union. My first trip, therefore, led to Kyiv.'³
• Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Orbán said, 'The talks will focus on possibilities for achieving peace, as well as current issues in Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations.'⁴
• Following a meeting with Ukrainian Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian leader told a press conference that the pair discussed issues that would form the basis of a bilateral agreement that would govern relations between the countries.⁵
• Orbán reiterated the message, adding, 'I wish all the best to Ukraine, and we will help you in everything we can during our presidency.'⁵

Sources: ¹Euronews, ²Guardian, ³Viktor Orban, ⁴RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty and ⁵Ukrainska Pravda.

Narratives

• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Guardian. With Orbán being Putin's biggest supporter in Europe, Hungary's turn to take on the presidency of the EU will no doubt raise major headaches for neighboring leaders and diplomats. Initiatives that Hungary puts forward in this period should be taken with a grain of salt.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by The Budapest Times. When one soberly looks at the troubles facing Europe, the war in Ukraine is undoubtedly the source of the biggest problems. Russia and Ukraine will inevitably hold talks to end the war, and rather than looking to prolong the conflict, Hungary's perspective is to meaningfully engage in that process so all of Europe's interests can be put forward.

Predictions