The key facts

  • Magyar told 444.hu that a Zelensky visit on October 23 is unlikely, although Putin was not invited
  • Deputy head of Zelensky's office Zhovkva previously confirmed receipt of the invitation
  • After the meeting in Brussels, the sides agreed to continue talks at ministerial level, including on minorities

Invitation exists, but the visit is in question

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in an interview with 444.hu, published on Saturday, that he does not expect Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to come to Budapest later this month, despite the invitation sent to Kyiv. On October 23, Hungary will hold state ceremonies dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the 1956 uprising, to which more than 100 politicians have been invited. Magyar noted that he considers Zelensky's presence unlikely, although Russian President Vladimir Putin was not invited.

Contradiction with Kyiv's position

Earlier this week, deputy head of the office of the President of Ukraine Ihor Zhovkva told Euronews that Zelensky had received an invitation to the October 23 events. 'We have received an invitation. On October 23, an event dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution will take place. The President of Ukraine has received an invitation to attend. We will see,' Zhovkva said. The invitation was sent against the backdrop of efforts to reset relations between Kyiv and Budapest after years of diplomatic disputes that repeatedly obstructed Ukraine's path to EU membership.

Agreements after the meeting in Brussels

On Friday, at the EU summit in Brussels, Magyar and Zelensky said they could meet again before the end of the year. 'Either I will go to Kyiv, and from there we will together travel to Berehove (Beregszász), or the president will come to Budapest, and from there we will go to Berehove,' Euronews quoted Magyar as saying. In a post on X after the Brussels meeting, the Hungarian prime minister wrote that he had expressed 'full solidarity' with Ukraine amid the ongoing Russian invasion. According to him, the sides agreed to 'continue negotiations at the ministerial level with particular attention to improving the situation of minorities in both countries' and believe that 'it is in the interests of both countries to lay a new foundation for political and economic relations.'