A planned meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Budapest has been postponed, according to Hungarian media reports. The talks, reportedly scheduled for Monday evening, were expected to focus on repairing relations between Hungary and Ukraine after years of political tensions.
While the meeting itself has been delayed, officials insist that preparations and diplomatic consultations are continuing, suggesting that a face-to-face meeting is still likely in the near future.
Meeting reportedly postponed after no final agreement
According to reports first published by HVG, the Hungarian prime minister and the Ukrainian president had been expected to meet in Budapest on Monday evening. However, no final agreement was reached regarding the visit, and both sides ultimately decided to postpone the talks.
Following media enquiries, Hungary’s Foreign Ministry stated that discussions with the Ukrainian side regarding the venue and timing of the meeting are ongoing. The ministry stressed that there had never been a final agreement on a Monday date and described the diplomatic preparations as proceeding normally.
Breakthrough in Hungary-Ukraine relations
The planned talks were expected to focus primarily on normalising relations between Hungary and Ukraine, which deteriorated during the years of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government.
According to reports, experts from both countries have recently achieved a breakthrough compromise. Under the reported understanding, Budapest would no longer obstruct Ukraine’s European Union integration efforts, while Kyiv would provide guarantees regarding the rights of the Hungarian national community in Transcarpathia.
The issue of minority rights has long been one of the most contentious points in Hungarian–Ukrainian relations. Hungarian governments have repeatedly criticised Ukrainian education and language legislation, arguing that it restricts the rights of ethnic Hungarians living in western Ukraine.
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Magyar signalled readiness to meet Zelensky
The possibility of a meeting gained momentum earlier this week following talks between Prime Minister Magyar and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in Berlin.
After the meeting, Magyar confirmed that negotiations between Hungary and Ukraine on minority and education rights were progressing and could soon be concluded. He also stated that he was prepared to meet Zelensky as early as the beginning of next week if an agreement could be reached on key issues affecting the Hungarian minority.
Further indications that a summit was being prepared came from Ukraine’s ambassador to Hungary, Sándor Fegyir, who confirmed reports of a planned visit by the Ukrainian president to Budapest. However, he did not provide details regarding the timing of the meeting.
A potentially significant diplomatic moment
Should the meeting eventually take place, it would mark one of the most significant diplomatic engagements between Budapest and Kyiv since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Beyond bilateral relations, the talks could have broader implications for Ukraine’s EU accession process, regional security cooperation, and the future of the approximately 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region.
For Hungary, improved ties with Kyiv could also strengthen its position within the European Union and help reduce tensions that have emerged over Ukraine-related policies in recent years.
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