Worthy Christian News > World News > Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán In Kyiv; Hungary Took Over EU Presidency (Worthy News In-depth)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán In Kyiv; Hungary Took Over EU Presidency (Worthy News In-depth)

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News

KYIV/BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called for a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia during a surprise visit to Kyiv where he met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Orbán spoke during his first state visit to war-torn Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion of the nation began in 2022 after officials said they had prevented a Russian-backed coup in Kyiv.

On Tuesday, Orbán said that a cease-fire could speed up the peace talks that Hungary had earlier offered to host.

Speaking alongside Orbán to the media, Zelenskyy said he “appreciates” the Hungarian leader’s first visit in over a decade.

However, Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine needs a “just peace” after more than two years of fighting Russia’s invasion that has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people on both sides.

Orbán’s trip to Ukraine came a day after Hungary took over the rotating European Union presidency from Belgium and was closely watched by Brussels where Orbán is viewed as one of the EU’s most pro-Russia leaders.

The talks also focused on improving the language and cultural rights of some 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine, including in schools, churches, and public institutions.

Kyiv has said it took over all recommendations from the EU as it seeks membership in the 27-nation bloc.

MINORITY ACCORD

Government sources said an accord on the Hungarian-speaking minority in Ukraine’s far west near the countries’ border was negotiated as a precondition for Orbán’s trip.

Orbán has also expressed concern about ethnic Hungarians being drafted into the army, where several were killed or injured while fighting Russia’s military.

In contrast to most European nations, Hungary has questioned the need to support Ukraine militarily, opting instead for a ceasefire and peace talks

And it didn’t help that after his victory in the 20.l22 parliamentary elections, Orbán included Zelenskyy in a list of “opponents” who “conspired” against him and backed the opposition.

Last week, EU governments agreed to use 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) of profits from frozen Russian assets to supply arms and other aid to Ukraine, bypassing a Hungarian veto that frequently held up EU decisions on Ukraine. In response, Budapest accused the EU of a “shameless” breach of its own rules

Yet Tuesday’s talks were seen as an opening in better bilateral relations between Budapest and Kyiv, Orbán suggested.

Orbán said he chose Kyiv for his first visit under Hungary’s EU presidency “because peace is an important question” and the war affected European security.

MEGA STYLE

The prime minister’s slogan for the EU presidency is “Make Europe Great Again,” inspired by his close friend and ally Donald J. Trump, who he hopes will be re-elected to the White House for his “Make America Great Again” tour.

An EU diplomat said he “takes pills to remain calm” when thinking about Hungary’s presidency.

Orbán countered that Hungary wanted to improve ties with Ukraine and offered to help modernize its economy, which commentators saw as Hungary’s “olive branch to its long-estranged neighbor.”

Separately, Zelenskyy’s chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, said that an “important conversation” about the future of Europe, security, international law, and the Peace Formula, Zelenskyy’s 10-point plan for ending the war, had taken place.

Yet those visions did not include tensions on the ground, including in eastern Ukraine, where fierce battles between Ukrainian troops and Russian forces continued.

However, Moscow’s counteroffensive in the northeastern Kharkiv region reportedly stalled as new U.S. military supplies started trickling in.

Despite Western outrage, Budapest has kept channels open with Moscow, and Orbán’s foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, has made at least five trips to Russia since the start of the war.

ECONOMIC FORUM

Last month, he even visited an economic forum in St. Petersburg, Russia.

His trips further strained relations with the EU after Brussels froze billions in EU funding to Hungary over rule-of-law concerns.

Orbán said, however, that he will talk about what he learned in Kyiv with EU leaders and avoid what he fears could be a new World War between U.S.-led nations and Russia.

The Hungarian leader’s visit to Ukraine came shortly after Ukrainian security officials claimed they had prevented a coup attempt. The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) said in remarks on the social media platform Telegram that a group of people were preparing “a series of provocations” in the capital, Kyiv.

It added that the group was led by a co-founder of a public organization known for its “anti-Ukrainian actions” since 2015, although it did not name either the individual or the group.

After calling for a public gathering in central Kyiv on Sunday, the suspects were planning to announce the removal of the country’s military and political leadership from power, the SBU said.

Then they plotted to seize the building of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine’s parliament, the statement added.

LONG PRISON

The SBU did not name suspects or say how many people were detained.

However, the agency stressed that those detained face charges of “calling for and trying to overthrow the constitutional order and seize power.”

The SBU said convicted people could spend up to 10 years in prison.

In separate remarks, Ukraine’s Office of the Prosecutor General said that the head of the group sought out members of the military and private security guards to help them carry out the plan.

It added that the leader rented a hall in Kyiv that could accommodate 2,000 people, although it did not specify what the hall would be used for. It also said that four people had been detained.

President Zelenskyy claims to have survived “multiple Russian assassination attempts” as he leads his nation through a third year of war.