Hungary Offers Budapest as Venue for Russia-Ukraine Peace Talks

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has proposed Budapest as a potential location for peace negotiations aimed at ending the Russia-Ukraine war. In an interview with a German newspaper, Orbán suggested that Hungary could provide a venue and diplomatic support for Kyiv. Orbán recalled the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, where major powers, including the United States, pledged to respect Ukraine's territorial integrity and independence in exchange for its nuclear disarmament. He argued that the experience of this memorandum demonstrates that "mere promises" have proven insufficient. "Today in Ukraine, everything is at stake: people are dying, and there is a danger of territorial losses. That is why real, legally binding international guarantees are needed," Orbán stated. The Prime Minister also expressed skepticism about relying solely on armed support for security, asserting that genuine guarantees can only arise from a broad agreement within the international community. While acknowledging that Hungary cannot be a decisive player in a security guarantee system, he affirmed Budapest's capacity to offer humanitarian and diplomatic assistance, and potentially serve as a negotiation site. This is not the first time Budapest has been suggested as a venue for high-level international talks. Previously, discussions between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, as well as meetings between Putin and Orbán, had raised the possibility of the Hungarian capital hosting such discussions. In October 2025, Trump and Putin had even indicated a potential meeting in Budapest during a phone call, a sentiment echoed by Putin during his meeting with Orbán in the Kremlin.

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Today in Ukraine, everything is at stake: people are dying, and there is a danger of territorial losses. That is why real, legally binding international guarantees are needed.