Zelenskyy: Ukraine-NATO Council holds serious talks on Orbán's visit to Putin

He stated this during a press conference.

"I believe that his visit to Ukraine was appropriate. If he used Ukraine as a stepping stone to facilitate his visit to Russia afterward (...) that would be wrong," Zelenskyy said. 

He emphasized that he was unaware of Orbán's visit to Moscow after his time in Kyiv and reiterated that he does not support Orbán's trip to Russia.

Zelenskyy also noted that the Hungarian Prime Minister was condemned by the countries of the European Union and NATO for such actions.

"At our Ukraine-NATO Council meeting, there was a clear and serious discussion emphasizing that no NATO member can adopt a pro-Russian policy. Therefore, I believe we should focus on building strong relations between our countries," the president added.

• On July 2, Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orbán arrived in the Ukrainian capital for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The meeting focused on Ukraine's peace plan.
• Subsequently, rumors appeared in the media that Orbán planned to visit Moscow after visiting Kyiv.
• For his part, European Council President Charles Michel reminded that the EU presidency cannot interact with Russia on behalf of the bloc. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also reacted to the information about the Hungarian prime minister's trip to Moscow.
• On July 5, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán arrived in Moscow for a visit. At the Kremlin, he met with Russian leader Vladimir Putin and called for a ceasefire.
• Orban also attended an informal summit of Turkic states in Azerbaijan on July 5-6. High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said that Budapest does not represent the interests of the EU in its interactions with countries and organizations.
• On July 7, it was reported that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is trying to divert the West's focus toward potential peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, aiming to weaken European support for Ukraine.
• On July 8, Viktor Orbán met with China's Xi Jinping in Beijing to discuss peace in Ukraine.