Written by Lisa Murimi
Hungary has reiterated its readiness to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday, confirming that Budapest has twice offered to serve as a venue and that the proposal remains open.
Speaking in a daily podcast broadcast on Facebook, Szijjarto responded to reports suggesting that the White House was considering Budapest as the site for a potential trilateral summit involving U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Politico reported earlier this week that U.S. security officials had begun preparations, with Budapest emerging as the leading candidate.
“If we are needed, we are ready to provide appropriately fair and safe conditions for such peace negotiations. We are pleased if we can contribute to the success of peace efforts,” Szijjarto said.
However, the foreign minister pushed back against reports by Reuters and Bloomberg that Trump had called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban after Monday’s summit between Ukraine and European leaders to discuss Kyiv’s bid for European Union membership.
“I want to make it clear that there was no such call. There was not. Period,” Szijjarto stressed.
A White House official had earlier stated that Trump and Orban discussed Ukraine’s EU accession talks and the possibility of Budapest hosting negotiations between Putin and Zelenskiy.
Hungary, which has maintained close ties with Moscow despite its NATO and EU membership, has positioned itself as a potential mediator in efforts to end the war in Ukraine, though skepticism remains among Western allies about Budapest’s neutrality.
