Magyar: Zelenskyy Unlikely to Visit Budapest This Month

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in an interview with the news site 444.hu on Saturday that he does not expect Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to visit Budapest at the end of this month, even though an invitation has been sent to Kyiv. The question matters because Budapest and Kyiv are trying to reset relations after years of diplomatic disputes that have repeatedly obstructed Ukraine's path towards European Union membership.

Ceremonies in Budapest

More than 100 politicians have been invited to state ceremonies on 23 October marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. Magyar said he considered Zelenskyy's attendance unlikely. Russian President Vladimir Putin, he noted, has not been invited.

Zelenskyy's deputy chief of staff, Zhovkva, confirmed to Euronews earlier this week that the invitation had been received. "We have received an invitation," he said. "We shall see."

Meeting in Brussels

At the EU summit in Brussels on Friday, Magyar and Zelenskyy said they could meet again later this year. In a post on X, the Hungarian prime minister expressed "full solidarity" with Ukraine as it continues to fight Russia's invasion. He said the two sides agreed to continue talks at ministerial level, with a particular focus on improving the situation of minorities in both countries. Both leaders believe it is in their countries' interests to build a new foundation for political and economic relations.

Planned joint trip

Magyar outlined two possibilities: either he travels to Kyiv and from there goes with Zelenskyy to Berehove (Beregszász in Hungarian), or the Ukrainian president comes to Budapest and the two travel to Berehove from there.