Yermak had a phone call with Péter Szijjártó. What did the Head of the Office of the President and the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs discuss?

The Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, Andriy Yermak, had a phone conversation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Hungary, Péter Szijjártó.

Yermak stated that “Ukraine counts on a positive decision at the December meeting of the European Council, scheduled for December 14-15, regarding the start of negotiations with Ukraine on EU membership.” It’s worth noting that Hungary has threatened to block the decision on Ukraine’s acceptance.

The Head of the President’s Office also mentioned that the Ukrainian Parliament plans to approve a list of Euro-integration bills in the coming days.

“We will fully fulfill our commitments,” Yermak said, likely referring to the controversial legislation on minority rights, which has sparked debates in Ukraine and is being demanded by Hungary.

Additionally, Yermak and Szijjártó discussed the possibility of a meeting between Zelensky and Orbán and “agreed to work on defining a convenient date for such a meeting.”

Recall that last week, former Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko initiated a meeting with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The country “did not want to obstruct,” thus agreeing to host the former Ukrainian president.

Hungary’s Foreign Minister Szijjártó stated this during hearings in the Hungarian Parliament. According to Szijjártó, the former President of Ukraine, Poroshenko, himself initiated the meeting with Orbán. The Hungarian minister emphasized that the prime minister “gladly negotiates with anyone, including former foreign leaders.”

However, he declined to comment on why the meeting fell through and suggested “asking the Ukrainians about it.” Additionally, Szijjártó refrained from delving into the details that Poroshenko and Orbán had planned to discuss.

Recalling events from the morning of December 1st, Petro Poroshenko attempted to leave the country, but border guards did not allow him to depart. The former president claimed to possess an order signed by the Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. According to the documents, Poroshenko had scheduled meetings in Poland and the United States. However, border guards stated they had received information that Poroshenko’s business trip had been canceled.

The Security Service of Ukraine (SBU) explained that Poroshenko’s business trip had been canceled upon their request. According to special forces, Russia had planned to exploit the meeting between Poroshenko and Orbán for their information operations against Ukraine.

Hungary reacted to Poroshenko being denied departure and emphasized that they “do not wish to participate in Ukraine’s internal political struggle.” Furthermore, they labeled it as “political purging,” allegedly indicating that “Ukraine is not yet ready for EU membership.