Zelensky says he spoke directly to Orbán about the European Union

“HAS ceremony margin [tomada de posse do Presidente argentino], I spoke with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. It was a very direct conversation, focused on European issues”, said Zelensky in a speech released today.

The Ukrainian leader did not disclose further details about the dialogue he held with Orbán.

The images of the two leaders discussing intensely and without interpreters in the space allocated to them to attend the inauguration of Argentine President Javier Milei, in Buenos Aires, provoked speculation about the content of the conversation.

Orbán’s government has repeated several times in recent days that it will vote against opening accession negotiations between the European Union (EU) and Ukraine during the European Council meeting this week.

The Hungarian Prime Minister has already stated that Ukraine is not prepared to join the European bloc and cited alleged discrimination against the Ukrainian Hungarian minority as a reason.

Last week, Kyiv again changed the law on minority populations as recommended by the EU and, for the first time in several months, Ukraine maintained high-level contacts with Orbán’s government to try to change Budapest’s position in the next Council European.

Orbán has been the most critical European leader towards Ukraine, advocating an end to military aid to Kyiv.

The Hungarian head of the Executive has been in favor of holding negotiations with Russia since the beginning of the conflict and is the only European leader who, so far, has refused to meet with Zelensky.

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