FM Szijjártó travels to Moscow for talks, hails US-Russian dialogue

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has welcomed recent progress in US-Russian peace talks, emphasising that the world has taken another step toward establishing peace in Ukraine. The latest development, a ceasefire agreement in the Black Sea ensuring safe shipping, marks an important milestone on the path to a full ceasefire, Szijjártó said.

“Reconnecting Russia’s agriculture and food industry to the bloodstream of the international market could be a measure clearly demonstrating common sense,” the minister stated. He reiterated that the only viable solution to the war in Ukraine lies in US-Russian negotiations. “Only those talks can pave the way to peace, and we hope that Brussels will not hinder the success of these discussions.”

Szijjártó expressed appreciation for US President Donald Trump’s peace efforts, noting that such negotiations were “absolutely impossible” before his administration. “Today, however, direct US-Russian discussions yield the additional benefit that the risk of a wide-scale escalation of the war has been significantly reduced,” he added. “The world has become a safer place today, and we have taken another step towards peace in Ukraine.”

Following these developments, Szijjártó travelled to Moscow early on Wednesday morning for further talks, where he stated that peace, energy security, and economic cooperation would be at the centre of discussions. “We have been advocating for open communication channels for three years now,” he wrote in a Facebook post, referencing the latest US-Russian agreement on Black Sea security.

His visit to Moscow also comes shortly after the US government extended Hungary’s exemption from sanctions against Russia’s Gazprombank until May. Szijjártó had previously criticised the former US administration for its approach to sanctions, arguing that it had deliberately put the region in a difficult position regarding natural gas supplies. In contrast, he praised the current US leadership for its willingness to engage in diplomatic discussions that, in his view, contribute to greater global stability.

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