BUDAPEST — Hungary’s Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó expressed hope Wednesday that Russia would free two ethnic Hungarian prisoners of war during his Moscow visit, where he plans to meet President Vladimir Putin.
Szijjártó arrived a day after Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke by phone with Putin about Middle East tensions, the Ukraine conflict, and energy supplies for Hungary. With parliamentary elections set for April 12, Orbán’s administration has spotlighted Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, straining ties with Kyiv.
Posting from Moscow on Facebook, Szijjártó noted the POWs, recently seeking Budapest’s aid—and said: “I hope that after our talks more people will fly home on the plane than who came in this direction.”
Ukraine hosts about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians, mainly in Transcarpathia, fueling disputes over language rights. Budapest has accused Kyiv of improperly conscripting them, summoning Ukraine’s ambassador last Friday over two cases.
Orbán has preserved close Moscow links despite the war, resisting cuts to Russian oil and gas imports amid EU friction. Last month, Hungary vowed to block the bloc’s latest Russia sanctions and a €90 billion ($105 billion) Ukraine defense loan until Druzhba pipeline flows restart.