Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak will meet with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó in Uzhhorod to discuss bilateral relations and European Union matters.

Dmytro Kuleba and Andriy Yermak will meet with Péter Szijjártó in Uzhhorod on January 29 to discuss organizing a meeting between President Zelensky and Prime Minister Orban and comprehensive bilateral relations

Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will meet his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in western Ukraine on Monday, ahead of an EU summit aimed at unlocking aid for the war-torn country.

Relations between the two neighbors have been strained over the past few years and were further aggravated when Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in December vetoed 50 billion euros ($55 billion) in EU aid for Kyiv.

In an effort to mend ties and find solutions to their differences, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky suggested a direct meeting with Orban.

Security measures were stepped up in Uzhhorod after a death threat against Szijjarto surfaced.

Zelensky's chief of staff Andriy Yermak will also attend the meeting.

Orban is the only EU leader who has maintained close ties with the Kremlin following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Earlier this month, Orban expressed willingness to support Ukraine, provided the support is kept separate from the European Union's budget and reviewed annually.

The talks come just days before European Union leaders are due to convene for an extraordinary summit on Thursday to make progress on their stalled aid package for Kyiv.

In December, Orban abstained from a decision to open talks with Ukraine on joining the bloc by leaving the room when the vote was taken.

Orban has called for ceasefire negotiations with Moscow, claiming that Ukraine cannot win the war.

On 29 January, Ukraine's Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba, Head of the President's Office Andrii Yermak and Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó launched negotiations seeking to normalise Ukrainian-Hungarian relations.

Kuleba met with his Hungarian counterpart Peter Szijjarto in Uzhhorod in Ukraine's Zakarpattia Oblast