Zelenskyy was invited to Budapest for talks with Magyar

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has received an invitation from the Hungarian side to visit Budapest on Friday, October 23. On that day, Hungary plans to hold an event marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution. However, the Ukrainian side has yet to confirm the head of state’s participation.

“We have received an invitation. An event dedicated to the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution will take place on October 23. The President of Ukraine has been invited to participate. We’ll see,” Zhovkva said, responding to a question about Zelenskyy’s possible visit to the Hungarian capital.

The invitation to Budapest came amid a thaw in diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Hungary. Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar are preparing to hold their first official bilateral meeting on Friday morning on the sidelines of the European Union summit in Brussels.

Agreements on the time and place of the talks were reached after several months of discussions.

In Kyiv, this meeting is seen as an opportunity to translate the recent diplomatic thaw into concrete results in relations between the two neighboring countries.

“Our expectations are very positive,” emphasized Ihor Zhovkva.

He also thanked Hungary for its support in advancing negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union.

According to the deputy head of the Office of the President, Ukraine’s European integration will be one of the central topics of the talks in Brussels.

“We have opened four clusters; two remain, and we are confident that Hungary’s position will continue to be as constructive as it has been so far,” Zhovkva stated.

At the same time, Kyiv seeks to broaden the agenda of bilateral relations and not limit the dialogue solely to the issue of Ukraine’s EU membership.

“It really is time to sit down and talk,” noted the representative of the Office of the President.

Thus, the Ukrainian side hopes to discuss a broader range of issues related to cooperation between the two countries.

Ihor Zhovkva also stated that Ukraine is ready to host a meeting with Péter Magyar in Kyiv. Previously, Berehove in Zakarpattia—home to a significant Hungarian community—was discussed as a possible venue for the talks.

“He has always been a welcome guest in Kyiv, and we would certainly welcome such a meeting taking place in the Ukrainian capital,” Zhovkva said.

He added that other locations within Ukraine could also be considered for the talks.

Thus, Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s possible visit to Budapest on October 23 has not yet been definitively confirmed. At the same time, the upcoming meeting with Péter Magyar in Brussels could mark an important step in the development of Ukrainian-Hungarian relations, particularly regarding Ukraine’s European integration.

Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, spoke about this in an interview with Euronews.

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