Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky invited Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to the Global Peace Summit in Ukraine during a telephone conversation between the pair on Wednesday in an attempt to improve diplomatic relations between the neighboring countries.
The call, confirmed by Zelensky and Orbán’s press secretary Bertalan Havasi, focused on how to achieve peace between Ukraine and Russia, and was one of several telephone calls Zelensky held with heads of state on Wednesday as he extended invites to next month’s summit.
“I had a lengthy and focused call with Hungary’s Viktor Orban and invited him to the Peace Summit,” Zelensky wrote on X.
“Hungary’s position is important to us in terms of bringing peace closer and our shared regional security. I underscored Ukraine’s interest in good-neighborly relations with Hungary, as well as in the development of cooperation in trade, energy, and logistics.
“We coordinated next steps to resolve the full range of bilateral issues in a mutually beneficial manner. We also discussed Ukraine’s EU integration. I am confident that Ukraine’s swift accession to the EU will benefit both of our states,” he added.
The peace summit is scheduled to take place in Switzerland on June 15-16 with up to 100 national leaders attending. The conference is expected to focus on a 10-point peace plan put forward by Kyiv. The Ukrainians’ idea is that Russia would not be invited, but China would be given a role in drafting the peace plan.
It was unclear from the post whether Orbán had accepted the Ukrainian president’s invitation.
Zelensky has previously stressed that the Hungarian position is important for his country, for both peace and common regional security.
Budapest has long spoken out against Russian aggression in Ukraine but has expressed a difference of opinion with Brussels on how to pragmatically address the conflict.
Orbán’s administration has remained opposed to providing military support for Ukraine and opposed Brussels-imposed sanctions on Russian energy, claiming the move only served to harm European citizens and make Hungarians pay the price for a war they have no part in.
Rather than continuing to push for an unachievable comprehensive Ukrainian victory, Orbán has continuously called for peace talks to take place between Kyiv and Moscow, insisting his approach for an immediate ceasefire and peace is the humane approach that will save lives.
