Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán To Meet Russian President After Surprise Ukraine Visit In Attempt To Broker Peace

The Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, is scheduled to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin this Friday, following his recent visit to Kyiv.

What Happened: Orbán’s meeting with Putin, confirmed by one Hungarian and two EU officials, is seen as an attempt to mediate between Russia and Ukraine, Financial Times reported on Friday. This follows Orbán’s surprise visit to Ukraine on Monday, where he spent three hours with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Despite Orbán’s efforts, Charles Michel, the outgoing president of the European Council, stated that the EU rotating presidency has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU. He emphasized that “Russia is the aggressor, Ukraine is the victim. No discussions about Ukraine can take place without Ukraine.”

Orbán’s upcoming trip was first reported by Szabolcs Panyi, an investigative journalist with the east European VSquare group. The Hungarian Prime Minister has suggested a ceasefire deadline to Zelenskyy to pave the way for full peace talks with Russia.

Why It Matters: Orbán’s visit to Moscow will be the first by an EU leader since the unsuccessful peace-brokering attempt by Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in April 2022. Orbán has previously met with Putin twice since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia. Earlier, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping had expressed ambitions for a new Eurasian security system.

See Also: Biden-Trump Deadlock Ends After Debate: New Poll Indicates Defection Of Voter Category That Should Worry

Back in March, Orbán had stated that former U.S. President Donald Trump plans to stop all financial aid to Ukraine if he is victorious in the next U.S. presidential election. This announcement has significant implications for the ongoing conflict in the region.

Meanwhile, Zelenskyy has been pressing Trump to reveal his plan for a swift end to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. “If Trump knows how to finish this war, he should tell us today," Zelenskyy asserted.

Read Next:

• Odds Of Kamala Harris Replacing Joe Biden As Democratic Presidential Candidate Raised By Crypto Bettors, Memecoin Themed On Her Surges 126%

Photo via Shutterstock

This story was generated using Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari