Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has expressed concerns about Hungary's neutrality in the ongoing conflict with Russia, stating that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is not the right person to facilitate negotiations. Zelenskyy affirmed that he would attend any meeting aimed at achieving peace, even if held in Budapest, a city he considers less than ideal due to Orbán's friendly stance towards Moscow.
Zelenskyy clarified that Orbán, who has repeatedly sought to obstruct EU sanctions against Russia and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin, cannot make a positive or even balanced contribution to resolving the Ukrainian crisis.
Meanwhile, former US President Donald Trump has announced plans to hold a meeting with Putin in Budapest in the coming weeks. Trump had a telephone call with Putin last week, and before that, the two leaders held a summit at a military base in Alaska in August, which did not achieve significant progress in ending the conflict.
Trump welcomed Zelenskyy to the White House and urged both parties to reach an agreement, calling for an immediate ceasefire. However, Trump remained ambiguous about military aid to Ukraine and the imposition of new sanctions on Russia.
Zelenskyy emphasized his willingness to participate in any effective talks, but stressed that Budapest is not the optimal choice. He suggested alternatives such as Switzerland, Austria, the Vatican, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey. He noted that he had spent sufficient time explaining the reasons for Budapest's unsuitability to Trump's special envoy.
Zelenskyy expressed concern that choosing Budapest as the location for talks carries negative historical connotations for Ukraine, as the country gave up its Soviet-era nuclear weapons there in 1994 in exchange for guarantees from Russia, the United States, and the United Kingdom regarding its territorial integrity. Russia violated this agreement, known as the Budapest Memorandum, by annexing Crimea in 2014.
Nevertheless, Zelenskyy expressed optimism about the possibility of ending the conflict, citing Trump's successes in the Middle East and his desire to leverage this momentum to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
Zelenskyy indicated that his government is preparing a contract to purchase 25 Patriot air defense systems, which will be delivered in batches over several years. Ukraine is also striving to secure natural gas supplies after Russian airstrikes destroyed more than half of its domestic production, leading to energy shortages and exacerbating the humanitarian situation before winter. The Ukrainian government estimates that it will need $2 billion to purchase gas under difficult circumstances.
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