The Hungarian parliament extended the state of emergency for 180 days, until May 14, ensuring that the upcoming elections will be held under a special legal regime. This grants Prime Minister Viktor Orbán broad powers, while his Fidesz party lags behind the opposition Tisza in polls.
Poland has warned Russian President Vladimir Putin of possible arrest if he crosses its airspace for a summit in Hungary with Donald Trump.
Ukraine's allies are seeking to strengthen its position ahead of Trump-Putin talks, fearing a bad deal. They are preparing a support package that includes funding, weapons, and new sanctions against Russia, and plan to involve Zelenskyy in any negotiations.
The President of Ukraine stated that his American counterpart seeks an end to the Russian-Ukrainian war, and Trump's message to stop at the line of contact is, in the opinion of the head of state, positive. At the same time, Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not consider Budapest the best platform for US-Russia negotiations.
The German Federal Office for Migration and Refugees received thousands of reports about refugees from Ukraine who needed an interpreter from Hungarian. A check revealed that 568 people had dual citizenship, which deprives them of the right to temporary protection and financial assistance in Germany.
Air Live has shown the alleged route of Vladimir Putin's plane to Budapest, where a summit with Donald Trump is planned. The 5000 km route will pass through the Caspian Sea, Iran, Turkey, the Mediterranean Sea, Montenegro, Serbia, and Hungary, which will increase the flight time by 3 hours.
The German Foreign Ministry stated that Hungary must execute the ICC arrest warrant for Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. This decision will only come into force in April 2026, despite Hungary's announcement of withdrawal from the court's jurisdiction.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced the start of preparations for a summit between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Budapest. He held talks with US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
The Ukrainian delegation visited Washington to discuss the purchase of American weapons, including Tomahawk missiles. This indicates a change in the approach to ending the war, where the emphasis is on strengthening combat power.
US President Donald Trump praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, calling him a "fantastic" and "great leader. " Trump also mentioned his support for Orban in the last election, where he won by a 28-point margin.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced the launch of a signature campaign against "Brussels' war plans," citing a plan presented in Denmark to counter Russia, which, according to the head of the European country's government, leads to escalation.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Heorhiy Tykhyi, stated that Hungary's accusations against Ukraine are becoming absurd. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban accused Ukraine of helping the opposition party "Tisza" and pressuring European states regarding EU membership.
The European Commission is investigating allegations of Hungarian espionage against European institutions. An international journalistic investigation uncovered a network of secret agents operating through Hungary's Permanent Representation to the EU.
An investigation by SPIEGEL, De Tijd, and Direkt36 revealed that Hungarian intelligence appears to have been spying on EU institutions in Brussels for years, attempting to recruit European officials. One agent, operating under diplomatic cover, according to the investigation, offered money to a European Commission employee.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that almost all EU countries support Ukraine's accession, but Hungary is blocking it due to internal politics. He named two possible ways to solve the problem: changing the voting rules in the EU or diplomatic pressure on Hungary.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has accused Ukraine of attempting to pressure European states regarding EU accession. He stated that Budapest would not support this decision, citing the results of a referendum.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Ukraine will be in the European Union, as it is the choice of Ukrainians. He noted that Hungary is slowing down this irreversible process, and Ukraine will appeal to partner countries to change the accession procedure or put pressure on the Hungarian Prime Minister.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha reacted to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's statement about his country's unwillingness to be in integration associations with Ukraine. Sybiha noted that the countries are already members of many international organizations and formats.
The Hungarian parliament plans to extend the state of emergency for another 180 days, until May 13, 2026, due to the war in Ukraine. This decision will grant Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expanded powers.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke out against António Costa's plan to bypass Hungary's veto and accelerate Ukraine's accession to the EU. He also declared the country's dependence on Russian energy, despite US demands.
Parliamentary elections in the Czech Republic will be held on October 3 and 4. Andrej Babiš's ANO party is leading in the polls, ahead of the ruling coalition.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban may find support in his attempts to hinder Ukraine's accession to the EU, particularly from French President Emmanuel Macron. The proposal by European Council President António Costa to change EU accession rules to circumvent Hungary's resistance is meeting opposition from a number of countries, including France, the Netherlands, and Greece.
The European Union is preparing to begin technical work on the accession of Ukraine and Moldova, despite Hungary's ongoing blocking of accession negotiations. The European Commission has proposed adjusting the rules to circumvent Hungary's veto, by starting technical work in several "clusters" even without an official decision.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha responded to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who questioned Ukraine's sovereignty. Sybiha noted that Ukraine awaits Orban's opinion on sovereignty when he gets rid of his dependence on Russian energy carriers.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claims that Ukraine is not sovereign because it is financed by Western countries. He stated that without Western support, Ukraine would disappear.
Brussels welcomed the plan by European Council President António Costa, which involves bypassing Hungary's veto to advance Ukraine's and Moldova's applications for EU membership. The proposal would allow voting on the opening of negotiation clusters by a qualified majority of member states.
The European Union must radically transform due to Putin's provocations and Trump's semi-detachment. EU countries are looking for ways to counter the Kremlin's aggressive rhetoric.
European Council President António Costa is leading efforts to advance Ukraine's EU membership bid, despite Hungary's resistance. He is trying to garner support from EU capitals for simplifying the accession procedure for new members, proposing to open negotiation clusters with the consent of a qualified majority of EU countries.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to stop the persecution. This happened after Zelenskyy instructed the military to check for violations of Ukrainian airspace by Hungarian drones.
Negotiation clusters for Ukraine's accession to the EU could start after the parliamentary elections in Hungary in April 2026. Hungary is blocking the opening of the first negotiation cluster, despite Ukraine fulfilling all preconditions.
