Orban makes cynical remark on Zelenskyy's presence at NATO summit
Photo: Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban (Getty Images)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed that several NATO member states allegedly do not want to see Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the summit in The Hague, according to Magyar Nemzet.
"The Americans, the Turks, the Slovaks, and we made it clear that we do not want to sit at the same table with Mr. Zelenskyy when it comes to NATO," Orban stated cynically.
He emphasized that Zelenskyy's absence from the closed-door NATO leaders’ meeting scheduled for June 25 is "a clear signal," adding that "this is no coincidence."
"In diplomacy, the question is not where you are, but where you are not. That is more important. And this is exactly one of those cases," Orban said.
The Hungarian prime minister also noted that it is in his country’s national interest not to be part of any integration community with Ukraine, neither in NATO nor in the EU.
Zelenskyy at the NATO summit
The NATO summit began in The Hague on June 24. Western media previously reported that the Ukrainian president would not take part in the leaders’ meeting — a concession made for US President Donald Trump.
The White House stated that Trump may meet with Zelenskyy on the sidelines of the summit.
This was also confirmed by the head of the Ukrainian Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak, who discussed the matter with US Secretary of State Mark Rubio. According to Yermak, the key topic would be ending the war.
