Most Hungarians say Putin belongs in The Hague, not Budapest — community leader

Tibor Tompa, head of the Hungarian community in Kyiv, shared the information on Espreso TV.

“According to a sociological survey, 95% of Hungarians, including some who support Orbán, are against Putin visiting Budapest. They believe Putin’s place is not in Budapest, but in The Hague,” Tompa emphasized.

He also recalled that in 1994, the presidents of Ukraine, Russia, and the U.S., along with the UK Prime Minister, met in Budapest to sign the so-called Budapest Memorandum — a security act that failed to properly protect Ukraine’s sovereignty.

“Therefore, the vast majority in Hungary oppose Putin’s visit. However, it must be noted that Orbán and the current Hungarian government are effectively allies of Putin and comply with all of his and the Kremlin’s wishes,” Tompa added.

• On October 16, U.S. President Donald Trump spoke by phone with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and said he had agreed on a meeting in Budapest. 
• Later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated he is ready to participate in a meeting between Trump and Putin in any format that would yield results.