Secret of Viktor Orban's Peace Mission

Expert explains how PM Orban has been able to achieve mounting success in a sort period of time.

Hungarian Prime minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington (Photo: Hungarian PM's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)

He also recalled that Turkiye has also done a lot to broker various agreements between the two sides: the grain deal was in force for a year, and the Istanbul peace deal - often cited by Russian President Vladimir Putin - was underway, but Kyiv eventually backed out.

So, in the end, it is the different approach that can offer scope for this peace mission. Obviously, success can only be interpreted in relative terms at the moment, since we are not much closer to ending the war. However, we must also take into account that a door has been opened to the possibility of negotiations. It is therefore important that pro-peace voices are strengthened to offset those supporting escalation. It is just as important that some sort of mediation and contact between the parties should be established. This is the essence of Hungary's peace mission,

the expert summed up.

Within the Western alliance, Hungary and Turkey are the only two countries that have been able to maintain normalized relations with both sides, and thus can act as mediators,  Andras Kosztur pointed out, noting that there is now a majority of forces in the world calling for an end to the war. This is why it was important and effective to present a pro-peace position in the Far East, for example, the senior expert said. What we see in the Western world, that the majority of leaders would even continue the war, is not so prevalent outside the West, he added. Basically, we know the positions of the parties involved, we know what is officially declared at the moment, but during such a face-to-face meeting it is easier to find out which issues one or the other side may be willing to concede on, and which issues they consider particularly important. However, this actually requires one-on-one communication. And because the stakes are high, given the risk of escalation, it is also important to maintain these communication channels, Andras Kosztur emphasized.

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington (Photo: Hungarian PM's Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)