Zelenskyy and Hungarian PM Magyar hold first face-to-face talks in Brussels

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held his first official meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar in Brussels on the sidelines of an EU summit, lasting approximately 30 minutes in a one-on-one format. The meeting exceeded Hungary's publicly stated plans of 10-15 minutes, with the Ukrainian side expecting the longer duration. At Hungary's request, no press was allowed even for the protocol portion, and the talks were held entirely without aides or delegation members. The meeting followed months of negotiations over timing and location, as Kyiv sought to convert recent diplomatic warming into concrete progress. It came after Ukraine's parliament passed education law amendments on October 12, prompting Hungary to lift objections and allow EU accession talks on two clusters to proceed. Zelenskyy has also been invited to Budapest for October 23 events marking the 70th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution.