Hungary, US prepare for key talks on Ukraine, sanctions against Russia

Hungary's State Secretary for International Communication and Relations Zoltán Kovács has announced that Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will meet in Washington to discuss the Ukraine conflict and potential easing of US sanctions on Russia.

“FM Péter Szijjártó is meeting [US Secretary of State Marco] Rubio and will begin talks at 17:00 CET at the Department of State in Washington today, focusing on key bilateral and global issues,” Caliber.Az reports via Kovács’ message on X.

Ahead of his visit, Szijjártó stated that the resolution of the Ukraine conflict remains the central issue in ongoing discussions between Hungary and the US at all levels. Furthermore, Szijjártó has previously raised concerns about US sanctions on Russia, particularly those targeting the energy sector, which he has stated are harming Hungary.

The diplomatic fallout stems from the February 28 meeting between Trump and Zelenskyy at the White House. The discussions were originally intended to centre on a mineral deal but quickly spiralled into a contentious dispute. The meeting, which also included US Vice President J.D. Vance, reportedly became heated, with Vance criticizing what he viewed as Kyiv’s ungrateful attitude toward American support. The tensions escalated to the point that Zelenskyy left the White House prematurely, and the anticipated agreement was never finalized.

By Naila Huseynova