Hungary and Ukraine look to repair ties
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto met with his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba and Andriy Yermak, head of the president's office, in the western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod on January 29.
The talks were expected to be "a sincere and constructive dialogue," according to local media.
Hungary and Ukraine have had a controversial relationship that has deteriorated since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has maintained close ties with Russia. Orban opposed the launch of Ukraine's EU accession negotiations and blocked a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine in December.
It is worth noting that EU leaders are due to meet on February 1 to vote on the package again.
The Uzhhorod meeting was first announced at the beginning of January. One of the potential topics of discussion was a possible visit by Orban to Ukraine, which would be his first trip to the country since 2010.
Orban and President Zelenskyy spoke briefly during the inauguration ceremony of Argentine President Javier Milei on December 10.
In the run-up to Szijjarto's visit, the Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, considered to be closely affiliated with Orban, published an article condemning the state of freedom of the press in Ukraine.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
