BUDAPEST, August 21. /TASS/. The Hungarian and Turkish leaders share the opinion that it is impossible to settle the conflict in Ukraine without meeting Russia’s security demands, Endre Simo, head of Hungarian Community for Peace, a non-government organization, told TASS on Sunday, commenting on the Budapest meeting between Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and visiting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

"Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan perceive that it is impossible to end the conflict in Ukraine without at least partial satisfaction of Russian security demands," he said, adding that both of them are looking to the future in a bid to see "what to do if Ukraine becomes neutral, and as a result, NATO also suffers defeat."

When asked about the significance of the meeting b between Orban and Erdogan in Budapest, the expert said, "Before President [of Russia Vladimir] Putin's planned visit to Turkey at the end of August, Erdogan is particularly interested to know whether Orban sees a security risk in a possible partial special agreement with Putin." According to the expert, Orban doesn’t think that Russia is a threat to his country.

"Hungary and Turkey agree that Russia cannot be defeated in Ukraine, and the sanctions have not fulfilled the West's hopes pinned on them. But, so far, they haven't been able to get their NATO allies to sit down and negotiate seriously with the Russians instead of arming Ukraine," Simo noted, adding that Erdogan obviously sees that "without meeting Russian demands" it will be impossible to put an end to the conflict in Ukraine. Moreover, in his words, it will be impossible resume grain exporting across the Black Sea.

"Both NATO member states are forced, if they do not want to risk their economic interests [in relations] with Russia, to act more actively among the Western powers in order to come to an agreement with Moscow," he stressed.

Erdogan visited Budapest at Orban’s invitation on the occasion of Hungary’s national holiday, St. Stephen’s Day, marked on August 20. The Turkish leader will pay another visit to Hungary on December 18 to take part in a meeting of the high-level strategic cooperation council. According to Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, the meeting is expected to yield an agreement on establishing priority strategic partnership and mutual assistance in emergency situations.