Ukraine has taken a new step toward a meeting between Zelenskyy and Madyar
Ukraine has submitted a new proposal to Hungary regarding a meeting between President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Péter Mádár. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that Kyiv has long been ready for a face-to-face conversation between the leaders and hopes that it will finally take place.
Georgiy Tykhyi, a spokesperson for the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that preparations for the meeting between Zelenskyy and Magyar are ongoing. According to him, the Ukrainian side has already submitted a new proposal to Budapest, specifying when and where the leaders could meet. “A meeting between President Zelenskyy and Prime Minister Mádjár is planned. We have been ready for it for a long time, ever since Péter Mádjár’s election. We have been coordinating the leaders’ schedules and exploring possible meeting locations,” Tykhyi said at a briefing on September 8.
He added that this time, Ukraine has proposed a more specific option. “I can confirm that as of now, there is a new proposal regarding exactly when and where the leaders could meet. We have conveyed this new idea to the Hungarian side,” the spokesperson said.
The Foreign Ministry did not disclose which city and date Kyiv had proposed. Therefore, there is currently no basis for saying that the meeting location has been definitively agreed upon. Ukraine is awaiting a response from the Hungarian side. According to Tykhyi, Kyiv would like to hold the meeting in the near future.
Why Kyiv Wants This Meeting
The Ukrainian side views a face-to-face conversation between Zelenskyy and Mádár as an opportunity to resolve several issues in bilateral relations at once. “We would welcome such a meeting. It would allow us to go through the entire agenda and put the normalization of Ukrainian-Hungarian relations on a stable track,” Tykhyi explained. According to him, Kyiv is interested in more than just a symbolic meeting between the two politicians. The goal is full-fledged negotiations during which all contentious issues between Ukraine and Hungary could be discussed.
One of the key issues remains the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine. In September, Ukrainian authorities reported progress on issues of concern to Budapest, particularly regarding the protection of national minority rights. Another major topic is Hungary’s position on Ukraine and its accession to the European Union. Budapest has previously linked its position to the resolution of issues concerning the Hungarian minority. It is important for Kyiv that relations with the new Hungarian government move from constant disputes to more predictable cooperation.
Mátyás had previously proposed a meeting in Berehove
Back in the spring, Péter Magyar proposed holding a meeting with Zelenskyy in Berehove, in Zakarpattia. He explained his choice by noting that a large Hungarian community lives in that region. In May, the Hungarian prime minister stated that he hoped to meet with Zelenskyy in Berehove as early as the beginning of June. At that time, Magyar also said he would like to discuss issues related to the Hungarian minority and bilateral relations with the Ukrainian president.
In June, the politicians already had a brief conversation on the sidelines of the EU summit in Brussels. It was not a full-fledged bilateral meeting, but the parties confirmed that they were ready to continue their dialogue. Following this brief conversation, Magyar again proposed Berehove as the venue for future talks. At the same time, it became clear from his remarks that the Ukrainian side did not consider this particular format to be optimal. Therefore, the question of the meeting venue remained open.
In July, another option emerged
A new phase in the preparations for the meeting began in July. At that time, Mádor reported that during a brief conversation with Zelenskyy, they had discussed the possibility of a full-fledged meeting. According to him, the leaders could first meet in one of the capitals—Kyiv or Budapest. After that, they could travel together to Berehove in Zakarpattia. “We agreed that we would meet in the near future—either in Budapest or in Kyiv—and then travel together to Berehove in Zakarpattia,” Magyar stated.
This option differed from the Hungarian prime minister’s previous proposal. Earlier, he had wanted to hold the main meeting in Berehove right away. Now, however, the parties discussed the possibility of first holding talks in Kyiv or Budapest, and only then moving on to a separate format in Transcarpathia. However, even after this statement, no specific date for the meeting was announced. Now Kyiv has once again proposed its own option and is awaiting a response from Budapest.
What Zelenskyy and Magyar Might Discuss
One of the main topics will be the future of Ukrainian-Hungarian relations. In recent years, a number of disputes have arisen between Kyiv and Budapest. Hungary has been particularly vocal about the rights of the Hungarian minority in Transcarpathia. Ukraine, for its part, has stated its readiness to address these issues and is already working on the necessary changes.
At the same time, Kyiv expects Budapest to take a more constructive stance toward Ukraine at the EU level. Hungary remains an important country for Ukraine’s European integration, so the Hungarian government’s position directly influences a number of decisions within the European Union. Russian aggression against Ukraine will be a separate topic. In July, Magyar stated that Hungary would not provide military aid to Ukraine but would continue humanitarian support. It is important for Kyiv to hear the new Hungarian government’s position directly from its leader. A face-to-face conversation could allow the parties to move more quickly from public statements to concrete agreements.
Why This Meeting Matters
Péter Magyar became Hungary’s prime minister in 2026, so his meeting with Zelenskyy will be significant not only for the current negotiations. It may indicate what relations between Kyiv and Budapest will look like in the coming years. The leaders have previously crossed paths at international events and exchanged brief remarks. However, there have not yet been any full-fledged bilateral talks between them. That is precisely why the Ukrainian side wants to hold a separate meeting with a specific agenda.
For Ukraine, this is also an opportunity to directly explain its position to the Hungarian prime minister. This is particularly important regarding issues of national minorities, European integration, and support for Ukraine. For Magyar, the meeting could be an opportunity to demonstrate his own foreign policy toward Kyiv. After all, his government is trying to build relations with Ukraine following a long period of sharp disputes between Kyiv and the previous Hungarian leadership.
When might the meeting take place?
There is no exact date yet. Ukraine has already submitted a new proposal to Hungary, but Budapest has yet to review it. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs hopes the meeting can take place in the near future. However, the Ukrainian side has not publicly disclosed either the proposed date or the specific location.
So for now, all that is known is that the talks remain on the agenda. Kyiv has stated its readiness for the meeting and is now awaiting a response from the Hungarian side. If the parties agree to the proposed format, this will be the first full-fledged bilateral meeting between Zelenskyy and Magyar. It could be an important step toward improving relations between Ukraine and Hungary and making them more stable.
