Hungary Seeks to Mediate Peace in Ukraine Despite Criticism

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó announced efforts are underway to arrange another high-level meeting aimed at achieving peace in Ukraine. In an interview with the Russian news agency "Novosti," Szijjártó addressed the criticism directed at Hungary concerning its role in mediating discussions between Kyiv and Moscow.

He emphasized the necessity for representation from both sides to foster a successful peace forum in the future. Notably, Russia was not invited to the initial peace conference on Ukraine held last month in Switzerland.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently indicated plans for a second meeting, expected to take place in November.

In his remarks to the Russian media, Szijjártó defended Budapest’s peace mission amidst backlash. He remarked, "All the pro-war politicians in Europe jumped immediately after the beginning of this peace mission. They threatened to boycott us, to refuse to negotiate, to ignore us." However, he expressed that such criticism only motivates Hungary to intensify its efforts to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

Szijjártó highlighted that Hungary, which recently assumed the rotating presidency of the EU Council for six months, is pursuing a mediating role between Russia and Ukraine. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has embarked on "peace missions" to various capitals, including Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing, and Washington, which have drawn criticism from several Western nations for Hungary's independent actions.