"Hungary on the side of peace": Szijjártó meets Lavrov in Moscow

He shared the news on Facebook.

"Hungary stands on the side of peace. The past thousand days have clearly shown that the war in Ukraine cannot be resolved on the battlefield — it requires a solution at the negotiating table," Szijjártó wrote.

He added, "Breaking off diplomatic relations makes it impossible to negotiate a resolution and, therefore, to end the war."

Szijjártó also emphasized that Budapest supports direct dialogue between Kyiv and Moscow, stating, "This is the only way to give the peacekeeping mission a real chance."

Orbán's "peacekeeping mission"

In early July, rumors circulated that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was planning to visit Moscow after his trip to Kyiv.

At the time, then-President of the European Council, Charles Michel, reminded that the EU presidency prohibits engaging with Russia on behalf of the bloc. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also reacted to the reports of Orbán’s planned Moscow visit.

On July 5, Orbán traveled to Moscow, where he met Russian President Vladimir Putin and urged him to agree to a ceasefire.

Following Orbán’s visit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen criticized the move, asserting that appeasement would not deter Putin.

Orbán then visited Beijing on July 8 to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. They discussed their views on "steps toward peace in Ukraine."

During the NATO summit, Orbán also met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, seeking his support for Hungary’s "peacekeeping mission" in Ukraine.

On July 11, Orbán met former U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss "peace possibilities" for Ukraine.

White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan commented on Orbán's mission, noting that Ukraine would justifiably oppose any peace talks excluding Kyiv.

By August, EU foreign ministers decided to bypass Hungary entirely, organizing their own summit instead of attending Orbán’s proposed event in Budapest.

On July 18, von der Leyen declared that Orbán’s Moscow visit was not a "peace mission" but an act of appeasement.

On August 1, Hungary announced the conclusion of Orbán's "peacekeeping mission."

Orbán maintains that a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin is necessary to end the war.

In September, he reiterated that the war could not be resolved militarily, signaling plans for new "peacekeeping initiatives."