A Budapest reset, and a scramble to get Ukraine peace talks back on track
Budapest ceremony highlights a shifting relationship between Hungary and the EU
Poinews.com – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa are due in Budapest for a ceremony marking 70 years since Hungary’s 1956 uprising against Soviet rule. The anniversary carries particular political weight this year, as Hungary’s relationship with Brussels enters a markedly different phase.
Von der Leyen is expected to speak in the Hungarian parliament alongside Prime Minister Péter Magyar. The event is set to be Magyar’s first major international gathering since taking office in May, placing Hungary at the centre of wider European discussions on democracy, security and the war in Ukraine.
The visit would have been difficult to imagine during the final years of Viktor Orbán’s government. Relations between Budapest and EU institutions had been strained by repeated disputes, and von der Leyen herself was once presented on Hungarian billboard campaigns as an adversary. Only months ago, the same parliament expected to host her address was the venue for sharp attacks on the European Union by Orbán.
That contrast gives the 1956 commemoration an added significance. The uprising remains a defining symbol of Hungary’s resistance to Soviet control, and the anniversary is taking place while Europe again confronts Russian military power on its eastern frontier.
Regional leaders expected as Ukraine remains central
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was invited to the Budapest event, although his attendance appears unlikely. Contacts between Kyiv and Budapest have improved substantially since Magyar’s election in April, but important differences remain.
Earlier this week, Hungary surprised EU diplomats by preventing progress on the next stage of Ukraine’s accession negotiations, even though Kyiv had met the demands previously set by Budapest. The decision underscored how quickly an improvement in bilateral relations can still be tested by questions involving minority rights, enlargement and the EU’s collective decision-making process.
French President Emmanuel Macron had also been expected in Budapest but cancelled after riots in France. Moldovan President Maia Sandu and Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze are expected to attend, bringing together leaders whose countries sit close to some of the most consequential debates over Europe’s future borders and political alignment.
Putin repeats Kremlin justification for war
As European leaders gather in Hungary, fighting and diplomacy remain intertwined in Ukraine. Russian President Vladimir Putin again argued that Moscow does not seek conflict with its neighbour, claiming instead that Ukraine is determined to fight Russia. He also repeated the Kremlin’s assertion that Russians and Ukrainians are essentially “one people,” a claim long used by Moscow to rationalise its invasion and occupation of Ukrainian land.
Putin said an agreement could be possible if it met Russia’s interests. He also made clear that Moscow was prepared to pursue the stated objectives of its full-scale war if Ukraine did not accept such terms.
“Well, then it will be otherwise,” Putin said.
The statement reflects the central obstacle confronting any peace initiative: Ukraine and its European partners see the war as an assault on sovereignty and territorial integrity, while the Kremlin continues to frame its demands as conditions for a settlement.
Missile attack strikes Kyiv overnight
Diplomatic contacts have continued under the shadow of further Russian attacks. Overnight on Thursday, Russia fired ballistic missiles equipped with cluster warheads at Kyiv. The strikes targeted the historic centre of the Ukrainian capital and damaged monastery buildings, private homes, shops and cafés.
Zelenskyy is awaiting a briefing on Friday from US envoy Steve Witkoff. Further discussions are expected to involve Ukrainian, American and European teams. The pace and shape of those consultations will be closely watched, particularly as Kyiv seeks assurances that its interests are not decided without its direct involvement.
Europe fears being sidelined in negotiations
European officials are increasingly uneasy about Donald Trump’s approach to Vladimir Putin. The concern is not simply that Washington and Moscow may seek talks, but that a deal could emerge through private bargaining that leaves Ukraine under pressure to accept concessions.
Those anxieties have grown after Moscow proposed a summit involving Trump, Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping. For many in Europe, the idea reinforces fears that decisions affecting the continent’s security could be discussed among major powers without meaningful European participation.
“It’s very disturbing. It’s terrifying,” a senior official said. “We’re simply not built to operate in this kind of ruthless transactional environment.”
European leaders nevertheless maintain that continued engagement with the Trump administration is necessary. Their aim is to ensure that European security concerns, as well as Ukraine’s position, remain visible in any diplomatic process.
For Kyiv, the presence of European representatives is seen as particularly important in balancing a more transactional US approach. Russia has signalled that it could return to technical-level trilateral talks with the United States and Ukraine in mid-November. Brussels hopes that arrangement might eventually broaden to include European participants, though there is no indication that Moscow would readily accept such an expansion.
A difficult test for Budapest and Brussels
The Budapest anniversary ceremony therefore arrives at a moment of both reconciliation and uncertainty. Hungary’s new leadership is seeking a reset with Brussels, while the EU is trying to preserve unity over Ukraine’s future and its own role in peace efforts.
The symbolism of 1956 is unavoidable. Seventy years after Hungarians rose against Soviet domination, European leaders will gather in Budapest while Ukraine continues to resist Russian invasion. The occasion offers an opportunity to demonstrate renewed cooperation, but Hungary’s stance on Ukraine’s EU path will remain a closely watched measure of how far that reset has truly progressed.
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