Tensions are escalating between the political and military leadership in Ukraine, as press reports indicate that Volodymyr Zelenskyy attempted to dismiss Commander-in-Chief Valery Zaluzhny. The Ukrainian president’s room for manoeuvre seems to be diminishing, and he needs his European allies now more than ever to survive.
With Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressing a desire to negotiate with two pro-peace leaders on the right, Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán, it appears that the Ukrainian president is anticipating a potentially unfavourable scenario for Ukraine: a right-wing shift in both Europe and overseas.
All indications suggest that Viktor Orbán and Volodymyr Zelenskyy may soon be sitting down at the negotiating table. The parties have a multitude of contentious issues to discuss, beginning with the rights of the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia.
Photographs and television footage from the inauguration revealed a meeting and exchange of words between PM Orbán of Hungary and President Zelenskyy of Ukraine. According to the Hungarian PM’s chief press secretary, the two statesmen were discussing the ongoing negotiations about Ukraine’s potential EU accession.
President Novák and President Zelenskyy engaged in a fruitful one-on-one in Kyiv, which may pave the way for more constructive bilateral relations.
While Sofia, Prague, Bratislava and Ankara seemed to be eager to send more aid to Ukraine and support the war-torn country in its NATO bid, the NATO summit in Vilnius must have been a disappointing ending to a promising start for Zelenskyy.
PM Orbán must have ‘run into’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the meeting, as some Hungarian media put it. However, conspicuously, Viktor Orbán did not post any photos of him and the Ukrainian leader to social media, as opposed to prominently featured pictures with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in a Facebook post. In fact, no formal meeting has been held between the two leaders since Zelenskyy entered office. Although Orbán has been invited to Kyiv, the Hungarian government has made it quite clear that the Hungarian PM will not be travelling to Ukraine unless the rights of the Hungarian minority in the country are restored.
Ukraine has proven to be quite willing to turn a blind eye to the transgressions of China for very pragmatic reasons. It seems practical stances in foreign policy are allowed after all, until some powerful figures in politics and media choose to stir up some selective outrage.
During the European Council summit on Thursday, EU leaders welcomed the Ukrainian president to Brussels, showing support for the West’s ally as Ukraine gets ready for an anticipated Russian offensive.
The Hungarian Prime Minister was put under scrutiny for not applauding the Ukrainian President—however, he was not the only one, as some Western journalists and politicians have claimed.
The US Senate has broken the months-long stalemate by voting in favour of the Ukraine aid bill. The political significance of this decision is indisputable, but what implications does it hold for the course of the war?
The bill will now go to the Democratic-majority Senate, where it is not expected to face any obstacles and could be signed by President Joe Biden within a week. Hard-line Republicans have again vowed to impeach House Speaker Mike Johnson for bringing the proposal to the House floor.
The annual Three Seas Initiative Summit and Business Forum was held with the participation of thirteen countries situated between the Baltic, Black, and Adriatic Seas, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, Romania, Greece, and Bulgaria. President of Hungary Tamás Sulyok also participated in several bilateral meetings during the event.
After lengthy negotiations, an agreement was reached on the opening of a new border crossing point at the Hungarian–Ukrainian border, bringing the total number of crossing points between the two countries to six. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó described this development as a significant step forward that will enhance people’s lives and foster better relations between the two countries.
For the first time since the end of January, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó and Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba sat down for talks. Recently, significant steps have been taken to restore mutual trust between the two countries.
Both Viktor Orbán and Péter Szijjártó have extended their condolences to Russia over the tragic events that occurred last Friday at the Crocus City Hall in Moscow. The circumstances surrounding one of the most brutal terrorist attacks in decades remain unclear.
POLITICO, the mouthpiece of the liberal mainstream, published a very interesting article recently on the war in Ukraine, which came to a completely different conclusion from the previous narrative: it asserted that peace talks will soon become inevitable.
In the midst of tensions among the Visegrád Group countries, Viktor Orbán spoke about the potential for a partnership between Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia. In what areas could these countries cooperate, and what difficulties might impede such a partnership?
Following Emmanuel Macron’s statement on sending Western troops to Ukraine, NATO allies are distancing themselves from the French President. In the run-up to the European elections, radical pro-war rhetoric may have serious consequences—the case of the Hungarian opposition in the 2022 parliamentary elections is a cautionary tale.
As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, the prospect of peace remains as distant as it did 24 months ago. However, with the upcoming political events in Europe and the United States, 2024 holds the potential for significant changes. With these crucial events ahead, there is hope that 2025 could finally become the year of peace in Ukraine.
With the signature of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Ukraine has legalized the use of cannabis-based medicines and preparations. The decision could have serious consequences for Hungary and the European Union due to the chaos caused by the war in Ukraine.
Tucker Carlson has just released his thorough, two-hour interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Evidently, the main topic of the conversation was Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine, with Carlson vigorously searching for the reasons why President Putin decided to launch the invasion.
Left-wing MEPs led by Guy Verhofstadt want to impose sanctions on Tucker Carlson for interviewing Vladimir Putin. The crackdown on the former Fox News anchor is a perfect illustration of the double standards set by Brussels concerning freedom of expression and freedom of the press, which is often applied to Hungary as well.
Viktor Orbán has lifted his veto on €50 billion in financial aid for Ukraine, relying on the guarantees provided by EU leaders.
In a joint press statement with the Moldovan Prime Minister, Orbán described the eight years since Moldova signed the Association Agreement with the European Union as ‘offensively long’ and expressed hope that some of the lost time may be regained by speeding up accession negotiations.
Reflecting on the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting this week, the left-leaning news portal decided to make an explicit statement about their perceived—and desired—reality by creating a ranking of the ‘do-gooders’ and the ‘dirty dozen’ of the world leaders gathered in Davos—and, of course, a Hungarian politician just had to be included in the selection.
The European Parliament is threatening to revoke Hungary’s voting rights, with 120 MEPs petitioning for the launching of the next level Article 7 proceedings against Hungary ahead of a key EU summit in February.
After Poland’s left-wing government launched an overt campaign against the country’s public media, Spanish Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez is attempting to ban opposition journalists from parliament. The left’s attacks on critical right-wing voices are intensifying, and the Hungarian opposition would certainly not shy away from emulating the Spanish and Polish examples.
While out on bond in August, Lira said in a YouTube video that if he is convicted, he would certainly perish in a Ukrainian labour camp. Tragically, he was wrong—he died while awaiting trial, in the captivity of the Zelenskyy regime.
Once again, European leaders are demonstrating their total inability to adapt to the changed circumstances around Ukraine and make responsible decisions. Instead of a strategic reassessment, they persist with the same misguided policies, pouring arms and money into an unwinnable war.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.