Hungary’s Orban meets Pope Francis at Vatican to discuss Ukraine peace efforts

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday met with Pope Francis and top officials at the Vatican, where they discussed prospects for peace in Ukraine.

Orban, who was also there because of a meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni later in the day, held discussions with the head of the Catholic Church before Francis’s weekly audience.

The nationalist leader then met with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin and Miroslaw Wachowski, the Vatican undersecretary for relations with states.

“During the dialogue, particular attention was paid to the war in Ukraine, focusing on the humanitarian consequences and the efforts to promote peace,” the Vatican said in a statement.

They also discussed Hungary’s presidency of the European Union this year, “the central role of the family and the protection of the young generations,” it said.

Orban posted on social media a picture of morning mass in St. Peter’s Basilica.

We must seize the chance for peace!

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban

Orban, the Kremlin’s closest ally in the EU, has repeatedly called for peace talks and has refused to send military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in 2022.

He drew criticism in July by conducting breakaway diplomacy with Russia to explore a path to ending the war in Ukraine, just days after taking over the EU’s rotating six-month presidency.

Pope Francis regularly prays for peace in conflicts worldwide, and during his audience on Wednesday he spoke about the “martyred Ukraine,” the Palestinian territories, Israel, and Myanmar.