Will Orbán's Kyiv visit lead to resolving issues in relations with Hungary?
The relationship between Ukraine and Hungary, which has been in a state of crisis for so long, now has a chance of fundamental change. Long-standing Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has refused to visit Ukraine for almost 10 consecutive years, has finally changed his mind and come to Kyiv.
The ultimate goal of the negotiations, which have been publicly backed by both Orbán and Zelenskyy in Kyiv, is to conclude a comprehensive bilateral agreement between Hungary and Ukraine that would address the bilateral issues that have piled up.
So it’s possible that the current Hungarian-Ukrainian "truce" will turn out to be temporary and will last only as long as Orbán feels an urgent need to change his image.
Nevertheless, the chance to conclude a real agreement with Hungary is greater than ever, and Ukraine must seize this opportunity.
Read more in the article by Sergiy Sydorenko, a European Pravda's editor - Why Orbán came to Kyiv and what he agreed on with Zelenskyy.
Against all logic and at the expense of his own comfort, the Hungarian prime minister insisted that he and the entire delegation travel to Kyiv by road, in Hungarian armoured vehicles.
The reasons behind this decision remain unknown, and it simply has no reasonable explanation.
The Hungarian delegation did not include Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó, who had been the chief negotiator with Ukraine in the Hungarian government for many years.
This omission was a signal that Orbán was indeed willing to negotiate with Zelenskyy.
There is no more toxic official in Hungarian-Ukrainian relations. The fact that Orbán has kept him in the role of "chief of Ukraine-related affairs" for years was proof that Hungary was intent on maintaining and intensifying the conflict with Kyiv.
The talks between Zelenskyy and Orbán, first one-on-one, then with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other officials, lasted more than two hours.
However, no final agreements were reached on Tuesday, and the outcome of the meeting can be best described as "We’ve agreed to agree."
Considering that the bilateral relations had been in deep crisis and Hungary had refused to negotiate at all, this shift is actually very significant.
What is even more significant is that during his meetings in Ukraine, Viktor Orbán made it clear that he remains within the Russian orbit – and plans to stay there.
Peter Szijjártó was unexpectedly absent in Kyiv to create a positive tone for the leaders' first meeting. But shortly after the meeting, the Hungarian foreign minister called his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov! But it is indisputable that this was a political signal about the maintenance of Hungary's pro-Russian foreign policy vector.
Ultimately, Orbán himself confirmed in Kyiv that he would remain in the Kremlin's orbit.
The Hungarian delegation included not only officials, but also a very specific journalist with openly pro-Russian views.
Why is Orbán doing this? This is a very important question, as the answer determines how much sincerity there is in Orbán’s desire to reach an agreement with Ukraine. Viktor Orbán is currently facing harsh criticism and pressure from Hungary’s European partners. The intense confrontation with Kyiv has left Hungary isolated on the European stage. In particular, it seems that despite his months-long efforts, he will not be able to join the conservative EPP bloc in the European Parliament.
However, if this is only about positions, any thaw could be short-lived.
So the odds are that regardless of how events unfold, Orbán will leave some issues in the relationship with Ukraine unresolved so that he can exploit them later.
A complete resolution of the issues in these relations is not in his interests. However, it is unwise to completely dismiss a positive scenario.