Zelenskyy may have asked Orban to facilitate a phone call with Trump

During Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's visit to Kyiv in early July, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy could have asked him to help organize a phone call with Donald Trump.

This was reported by the portal of investigative journalism in Eastern Europe VSquare, citing a source.

According to the source, Zelensky allegedly asked Orban during their meeting in Kyiv on July 2 to help organize a call with the former US president and current Republican presidential candidate.

A second source with direct knowledge of the meeting between Zelenskiy and Orban did not deny this, saying that “it may have happened.”

The Hungarian prime minister met with Trump on July 11, and on July 19, Zelenskyy had a phone conversation with the former US president.

At the same time, VSquare adds, it is unclear whether Orban played a decisive role in this, as other intermediaries, including former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Polish President Andrzej Duda, are helping Ukraine establish contact with Trump.

One of VSquare's interlocutors says that Zelenskyy could well have asked Viktor Orban to help with the conversation, given the warm relationship between the Hungarian government and the former US president and Kyiv's desire to find a way to reach out to the latter.

Author - Olena Madiak, 25/07/2024