Kyiv

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been an outspoken critic of Western military aid to Ukraine, paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on Tuesday (July 2). Prime Minister Orban arrived a day after Hungary assumed the rotating six-month presidency of the EU Council. It's his first visit to Kyiv in more than a decade.

Orban would be holding talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. "The aim of the Hungarian presidency is to contribute to solving the challenges ahead of the European Union. That's why my first trip was to Kyiv," Orban wrote on Facebook under a photograph of him shaking hands with Zelensky.

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Speaking to the news agency Reuters, Orban's press chief Bertalan Havasi said that the Hungarian PM and Zelensky would discuss bilateral relations, saying "the most important topic of the talks is the chance to create peace."

The two leaders are expected to deliver statements later in the day.

Frosty relations since Ukraine war began

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Relations have been frosty between Orban and Zelensky since the Ukraine war began in late February 2022. The Ukrainian president called out Orban for his lack of support to Kyiv in the days after Russia launched its offensive (on Ukraine).

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Orban has the warmest relations of any European leader with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Hungarian prime minister is also a harsh critic of European Union (EU) sanctions on Moscow over its invasion of Ukraine.

Ukraine keen to secure Hungary's backing

Reuters reported that Ukraine has been keen to secure Hungary's backing as it relies heavily on financial and military support from the 27-member EU, where unanimity is needed for many decisions. 

Last week, the EU opened formal membership talks with Ukraine at its summit in Brussels, giving the country a morale-lifting boost. On the sidelines of that summit, Zelensky and Orban were filmed in what looked like an emotional exchange.

(With inputs from agencies)