On April 13 (local time), in the first press conference after the victory, Hungary's Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar declared that he was ready to discuss with the Russian President. "If Mr. Vladimir Putin calls, I will answer the phone. I will convey that, after 4 years of conflict, the end of the fighting is necessary," Mr. Magyar shared.
However, he also said that this may just be a short exchange and does not think that his advice will immediately change the battlefield situation.
The election results in Hungary received great attention from the European Union (EU), where leaders hope the change of government in Budapest will create more favorable conditions for the bloc's joint decisions.
Previously, the previous administration often used veto power over strategic plans, including a financial support package worth about 105 billion USD for Ukraine.
Mr. Magyar's inauguration in May is assessed by diplomats in Brussels as an opportunity for Hungary to remove these barriers. EU diplomats are expected to discuss the roadmap for quick disbursement to Kiev on April 15.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also sent congratulations and expressed his desire to build a substantive cooperative relationship for regional security.
On the Russian side, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Moscow respects the voting results of Hungarian voters and wishes to maintain communication channels with the new leadership. Mr. Peskov noted that the Russian side will monitor the specific steps of the Magyar government in the coming time before making further assessments of bilateral relations.
The change of senior personnel in Hungary also attracted attention from the US and Europe. Leaders of France, Germany and the President of the European Commission simultaneously sent congratulations to Mr. Magyar. President Ursula von der Leyen said that this result reflects the desire of the Hungarian people to strengthen relations with the common values of Europe.
