President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine sees a chance to reboot relations with Hungary, signaling a possible diplomatic thaw after years of tensions that repeatedly stalled Kyiv’s EU ambitions.
Ukrainian officials are now preparing bilateral consultations with Budapest as Kyiv pushes to open the next stages of EU accession talks.
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“There are prospects for a constructive reset in relations,” Zelensky said on Tuesday after talks with Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha on Ukraine’s foreign policy priorities for May and June.
The change in tone follows a political shake-up in Hungary after the election victory of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose government has begun distancing itself from the confrontational policies of former leader Viktor Orbán.
Hungary’s new foreign minister, Anita Orbán, said Budapest would stop using EU vetoes as a form of “political theater” and pledged to rebuild trust with European allies after years of disputes over Ukraine, sanctions on Russia, and EU aid packages.
“Too often Hungary has been a problem in Europe’s decision-making,” she said during her parliamentary confirmation hearing on Monday, May 11.
Budapest has also taken its sharpest step yet against Moscow since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Hungary summoned Russia’s ambassador after Russian drones struck Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region – home to a large ethnic Hungarian minority – in a massive nationwide barrage involving hundreds of drones.
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President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia struck a Chinese merchant vessel in the Black Sea during overnight attacks that also damaged civilian infrastructure across 8 regions of Ukraine. Ukrainian officials reported additional strikes on foreign-flagged ships near Odesa, while no casualties were recorded at sea. Zelensky condemned the attacks and urged stronger European air and missile defense systems, stressing the need for urgent reinforcement of Ukraine’s air defenses.
“The Hungarian government strongly condemns the Russian attack against Transcarpathia, which is also inhabited by Hungarians,” Magyar said after his cabinet’s first meeting, according to Hungarian outlet Telex.
The move marks a dramatic shift from the Orbán era, during which Budapest maintained close ties with the Kremlin and repeatedly delayed EU decisions supporting Ukraine.
Still, Hungary’s new government has not fully aligned itself with Kyiv. Anita Orbán said support for Ukraine’s EU integration would depend on Hungarian national interests, while Budapest continues pressing Kyiv over minority rights for ethnic Hungarians in Zakarpattia.
Magyar has also ruled out backing Ukraine’s fast-track entry into the European Union despite supporting recent EU financial aid for Kyiv.