Peter Magyar, the leader of the victorious Tisa party in Hungary’s recent elections, expressed his willingness for pragmatic dialogue with Russia on April 13. He thanked both Russia and China for acknowledging the election results, which saw Viktor Orban, known for his close ties with Moscow, lose power.
Magyar stated, “The Kremlin and Beijing have spoken. I appreciate their respect for the will of Hungarian voters and their openness to pragmatic cooperation, just as Hungary is, because geography is geography.” He confirmed that Hungary will continue to purchase oil from Russia but emphasized the need for diversification of supply sources.
While he indicated that he would not consider himself a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin and would not initiate contact, he mentioned that in a hypothetical conversation, he would urge an end to the war with Ukraine. He described Ukraine as a victim of aggression, asserting that no one should demand territorial concessions from it.
Magyar also signaled his intent to lift Orban’s veto on a €90 billion loan to Ukraine, clarifying that Hungary would not be financially responsible for this loan. However, he opposed accelerated EU membership for Ukraine, linking normalization of relations with Kyiv to the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.
Earlier, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov remarked that Moscow respects the choice of the Hungarian people. He noted that President Putin would not congratulate Magyar on his victory, as Hungary is considered an unfriendly nation.
Magyar received congratulations from numerous EU leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Both Brussels and Kyiv are hopeful that Magyar, who identifies as a pro-European politician, will reconsider Orban’s policies, leading Hungary to cease blocking measures supporting Ukraine.
The elections held on April 12 resulted in the center-right Tisa party securing a constitutional majority in Hungary’s new parliament.
Peter Magyar, the new leader of Hungary's Tisa party, is poised to adopt a pragmatic stance toward Russia and Ukraine following his party's electoral victory. He aims to normalize relations with Kyiv while addressing the rights of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine.