Hungary’s Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, has announced that he will discuss the progress of Russian-American negotiations on Ukraine in Moscow on Wednesday. This was revealed on Monday at a press conference following a meeting with his Georgian counterpart, Maka Botschorischwili, in Budapest.
Szijjártó stated that he will have a direct exchange of views with members of the Russian government, adding that “if it’s not a surprise, then it’s at least a new development.” He did not specify with whom he would meet in Moscow.
Prior to the announcement, Szijjártó emphasized that the relationships with the US and Russia are continuous on all levels of political decision-making. He also mentioned that he would receive the US Ambassador to Hungary and discuss the state of bilateral relations and the situation arising from the peace talks.
In early March, Szijjártó had already held talks with US Foreign Minister Marco Rubio, after which he stated that the US was willing to discuss the lifting of energy sanctions against Hungary. Later, he announced that Hungary had secured a delay in certain sanctions against Russia.
In late February, US President Donald Trump extended the anti-Russian sanctions for an additional year, while also promising to lift them after the end of the fighting. According to a Reuters report on March 3, Washington is working on a plan to ease the sanctions against Russia. The Kremlin, in response, urged people to only believe in official statements, with Presidential Spokesman Dmitri Peskow emphasizing that there had been no official announcements made so far.
In July 2024, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Moscow and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Orbán stated at the time that he had traveled to Russia as part of a “peace mission.” Later, Kremlin Spokesman Peskow revealed that Orbán had proposed a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine just before Christmas.