Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Mádjár has expressed interest in meeting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the city of Berehove, located in Ukraine’s Zakarpattia region. This proposal was made following a conversation between the two leaders during a European Council meeting on June 18, 2026.
Mádjár stated that he reiterated his preference for Berehove as the meeting location, emphasizing its appeal. “I would be happy if this meeting took place in the wonderful city of Berehove. I mentioned the name of the city to him in Hungarian, Ukrainian, and Russian. I would gladly come there,” he remarked.
“Of course, the meeting will take place. We have discussed with all member states and our neighbors the importance of establishing good, balanced relations. Several cities have been mentioned, including Kyiv, Budapest, Lviv, and Berehove. The meeting will happen. In my opinion, it does not determine the fate of the world,” Mádjár added.
When asked about Zelensky’s preferred meeting location, Mádjár indicated that it was not a significant concern. He also pointed out that the recent European Council communiqué did not specify any timeline for Ukraine’s EU accession.
“President Zelensky, as is no secret, has mentioned that this should happen as soon as possible. However, neither member states, the European Commission, nor the presidency of the EU Council provided any specific dates,” he noted.
Previously, Mádjár had criticized the notion of expedited EU membership for Ukraine, stating it would be unfair to Western Balkan countries and that Hungary was not alone in opposing the opening of additional accession clusters. On June 19, he announced that he had successfully removed a clause regarding accelerated Ukrainian membership from the EU summit declaration.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Mádjár has proposed Berehove as the meeting place for discussions with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The leaders aim to strengthen bilateral relations, although Mádjár has raised concerns about the implications of Ukraine's expedited EU membership.