Orban: Putin is not interested in ceasefire in Ukraine to create preconditions for peace talks
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has expressed no interest in a ceasefire in Ukraine to create the preconditions for more substantive peace talks. Putin believes that genuine negotiations are impossible without the involvement of both sides, including Russia.
He said this in an interview with Roger Köppel, editor-in-chief of Die Weltwoche, a weekly known for its pro-Russian stance, Censor.NET reports.
According to Orban, Putin told him that real negotiations are impossible without the participation of both sides, and "what they do without them is irrelevant, which is logical" - apparently referring to the Global Peace Summit.
The Russian dictator also told Orban that Russia had already responded to Ukraine's first proposals in the spring of 2022, and that Moscow's position had not changed since then and that Russia was ready to negotiate on the same terms.
The Hungarian prime minister also asked Putin how he felt about the idea of a ceasefire before substantive peace talks begin.
He said he had no positive expectations about this. Zelenskyy said he had no positive expectations because the Russians would use it against Ukraine, and Putin said that the Ukrainians would use this pause against Russia. I said: "Let's think, I understand your arguments," the Hungarian prime minister said.
Orban said that he considers himself "the only Western leader" who can talk to both Kyiv and Moscow at the same time, as all the others "have created a situation in which they cannot have direct contact with the two main players," including the Russians, and that he is conducting these talks because he is looking for "the fastest and shortest way to end the war."
Orban's visit to Moscow
On 5 July, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban paid an official visit to Moscow. In the Russian capital, he met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.
During a joint press conference with Putin, Orban made several statements about Russia's war against Ukraine. In particular, he stressed that Kyiv and Moscow's positions on peace are "very far apart".
In turn, a number of European leaders reacted rather sharply to the Hungarian prime minister's visit to Moscow. They stressed that Orban did not represent the EU in Russia during his meeting with Putin.
Before his visit to Moscow, Orban visited Kyiv. On 2 July, he met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
During his visit to Kyiv, Orban proposed a ceasefire.
On 3 July, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy did not support his proposal for a ceasefire for talks with Russia.
