Péter Magyar and Donald Tusk at the press conference following their talks at the Polish Prime Minister’s official residence in Warsaw on May 20, 2026 – Photo: István Huszti / TelexAfter meeting one-on-one over breakfast at the Polish Prime Minister’s residence in Warsaw on Wednesday morning, Donald Tusk and Péter Magyar held a joint press conference. In his opening remarks, the Polish leader said: “We are all deeply moved here in Poland—almost everyone, I would say,”According to him, they had for months seen what was about to happen in Hungary. “Your historic victory in Hungary not only means that Hungary has returned to Europe, but that hope has returned not only to Hungary, but to Europe, and indeed to the world,” the Polish Prime Minister said. Until recently it seemed that traditional Western values were losing ground, but Péter Magyar’s victory proves that this is not the case. “The free world must prevail, and that is what was achieved in Poland in 2023,” he said. “There are those who are capable of defending their values, and there are cases where they even sacrifice their lives for them.”Turning to Péter Magyar, Tusk added, “See, you are among friends; you have political allies here.”“Thank you that your heart is the same colour as the Hungarian flag, and mine is the same colour as the Polish flag,” Tusk said, noting that Hungarian-Polish relations have traditionally been good, even if there was a brief hiatus recently. In his view, Viktor Orbán being in power was not only a problem for Hungary but also created a dramatic situation in Polish-Hungarian relations.Photo: István Huszti / TelexTusk stated that Hungary and Poland will act hand in hand in Brussels, both in political forums, and in advocacy. “Our goals are almost identical.” Tusk thanked Péter Magyar for his intention to renew and revitalize the V4. According to Tusk, the revival of the V4 is a wider project; and their aim is to restore the region’s former significance.Donald Tusk said that they had discussed Hungarian-Polish relations, and said he was thankful that the new Hungarian government had shown openness on issues that have previously cast a shadow over Hungarian-Polish relations. “I'm talking about Polish politicians here,” said Tusk, referring to the former Polish ministers who were still in Hungary just a few weeks ago. Former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro, wanted at home on charges of embezzlement, among others, has recently relocated from Hungary to the United States, while it is unclear whether his former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, has also left Hungary.The Polish Prime Minister also spoke about the use of Russian oil and natural gas, noting that they are now completely independent from Russian energy sources, and that he had even offered his assistance to Péter Magyar on this matter. Tusk said they would work together to develop a common position on Ukraine, adding that, in his view, their positions on the question are not far apart. The Polish PM said that they intend to apply the same rules to Ukraine which applied to them during the accession process.Magyar: Hungary will be a partner to Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech RepublicPéter Magyar began his opening remarks by stressing how honored he was to stand alongside Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, as he comes from a family where history was important, and where knowledge of and respect for the thousand-year-old Polish-Hungarian friendship were of paramount importance. Magyar spoke about the Polish refugees who had found refuge in Balatonboglár in 1939 and also noted that earlier in the day, the Hungarian delegation had laid a wreath at the memorial to a Polish and a Hungarian hero who had saved some 30,000 Hungarians, including 5,000 of Jewish descent during the Second World War.“It is no coincidence that I chose Poland for my first official visit as Prime Minister” – Péter Magyar said, mentioning that they would be visiting Gdańsk later today, because he wanted to show the Hungarian people as much of Poland as possible.Magyar expressed his gratitude for the hospitality of the Polish people and also thanked Donald Tusk for his support. “We were able to meet in person, to speak face-to-face, and he has always given us the greatest possible assistance; I am deeply grateful to him and to the Polish people,” the Prime Minister said again.Magyar spoke about how the history of the Poles and the Hungarians has intersected numerous times which is why it was good for him “to see the statue of one of the Hungarian kings, Saint Ladislaus, in Kraków. Seeing this as prime minister was moving and uplifting," he said.Photo: István Huszti / TelexAs for the present time, the head of the Hungarian government said that Poland is stronger than ever, and he is confident that Hungary will soon be stronger than ever too. He and Tusk also discussed what is needed for a strong Europe. “A strong Europe requires strong, competitive, self-assured, yet humble member states.For Europe to regain its former glory, we need a strong, proud, self-aware Central European region,” he said.That is why he is pleased that they can once again strengthen Hungarian-Polish relations. “We must work so that future generations can be proud of us,” said Péter Magyar. He promised that Hungary would be a partner to Poland, as well as Slovakia and the Czech Republic in every respect, so that the V4 countries could regain their former strength and influence within the European Union. Magyar said he is also open to expanding the V4, for example to include the Scandinavian countries, Austria, Croatia, Romania, or the Western Balkan countries that have not yet joined the EU.“Today, the heart of Europe beats in Central Europe”, he said.According to Magyar, they must work to make this heartbeat as strongly as possible. He hopes to welcome the V4 leaders in Budapest at the end of June. Magyar noted that they are happy to draw on Poland's experience in other areas as well, because “with the victory of the Tisza Party, the Warsaw Express has now arrived in Budapest.”He mentioned that the two countries have faced similar challenges—issues of the rule of law, securing and effectively utilizing EU funds, and the fight against corruption—which is why he counts on the experience of the Polish government and the Polish people, “since they are clearly achieving fantastic results.”Péter Magyar also pointed out that over the past decade and a half or two decades, Hungary has not seen the effective utilization of EU funds, whereas it is clear that Poland and other countries have put this financial support to good use. Poland remains a model student to this day, said Péter Magyar. “We shouldn’t be envious that our neighbor’s grass is greener; instead, we must learn and work together, ” the Prime Minister said, expressing his confidence that such developments will eventually come to Hungary as well.He also found it important to reiterate what he had said earlier: Budapest and Hungary will not become a dumping ground for internationally wanted criminals. He added, however, that he had predicted that former Polish Justice Minister Zbigniew Ziobro and his former deputy, Marcin Romanowski, would not wait for Magyar to be sworn in. The Prime Minister promised that they would assist Poland on this issue in every way they can.“Ukraine has every right to defend its territorial integrity”“The EU consists of sovereign member states that can decide which direction they want to go in, Péter Magyar said in response to a question from Telex about what solution he sees for ending the Russian-Ukrainian war.” The Prime Minister reiterated that Ukraine is the victim here and it has every right to defend its territorial integrity. “What is needed now, and what we are encouraging everyone to work towards is a prolonged ceasefire as soon as possible,” Magyar said. In his view, the only goal for everyone must be to achieve a lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, followed by a lasting peace guaranteed by international parties, unlike what happened with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum.Magyar then recalled that he was the first MEP who, after the Russians bombed a children’s hospital in Kyiv in 2024, set out by car and delivered humanitarian aid from Hungary.“I was there in Kyiv; others were not. I continue to stand by the view that the war must be brought to an end as soon as possible,” he said. He added that while there may be minor disagreements, Hungary is doing its best to help with the means at its disposal. Regarding the ongoing Ukrainian-Hungarian consultations, he said that their central theme is ensuring that Hungarians in Transcarpathia receive the rights to which all minorities are entitled. The plan right now is for him to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in early July.In the continuation of his visit, the Hungarian Prime Minister will meet with Polish President Karol Nawrocki. Later in the afternoon, he and Tusk will fly to Gdańsk together, where the Hungarian Prime Minister will meet with Lech Wałęsa, the former leader of Solidarity (Solidarność) and former President of Poland.Péter Magyar and the Hungarian delegation arrived at the Polish Prime Minister’s Office on Wednesday morning from Krakow to hold a series of one-on-one talks. The Hungarian PM is accompanied on the trip by six ministers, each of whom are holding talks with their Polish counterparts during the visit: Anita Orbán, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Deputy Prime Minister; Zoltán Tarr, Minister for Social Relations and Culture; and Dávid Vitézy, Minister of Transport and Investment. Early Tuesday evening, the Hungarian delegation traveled by train from Kraków to the Polish capital, Warsaw, where they were joined by Szabolcs Bóna, Minister of Agriculture and Food Economy; István Kapitány, Minister of Economy and Energy; and Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, Minister of Defense.For more quick, accurate and impartial news from and about Hungary, subscribe to the Telex English newsletter!