US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (left) and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speak to reporters in Prague on May 31, 2024 (Photo: AP/Petr David Josek)

The two leaders discussed their respective commitments to supporting Ukraine in its conflict with Russia. They also reviewed several topics for the upcoming NATO Summit in Washington, DC, this August, including enhancing Ukraine's defense capabilities, strengthening relations between NATO and Indo-Pacific partners, and bolstering NATO's deterrence and defense capabilities.

Blinken emphasized the importance of NATO allies sharing responsibility fairly in collective defense.

Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban on Friday pushed back against some NATO proposals that would allow Ukraine to use Western weapons to strike targets within Russia, saying that such plans have Europe “inching closer to destruction.”

During a Friday interview on state radio, Orbán said that French President Emmanuel Macron’s stance that he wouldn’t rule out sending troops to Ukraine, as well as a NATO proposal that would allow Kyiv to strike military bases inside Russia with sophisticated long-range weapons provided by Western partners, risked escalating the conflict in Ukraine into a global conflict.

In a related development, Russia and Ukraine exchanged prisoners of war on Friday under an agreement brokered by the UAE. The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs noted that this is the third mediation effort between Russia and Ukraine since the beginning of the year and called on the parties to promote diplomatic solutions and dialogue and reduce tension.