Zelenskyy on Orban’s "peacekeeping missions": Only strong allies can act as mediators
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy does not believe that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban can mediate between Ukraine and Russia. According to the head of state, the United States, China, and the entire European Union could act as mediators.
The Ukrainian leader said this during a joint press conference with the head of the Polish government, Donald Tusk, in Warsaw, UP writes, Censor.NET reports.
The President noted that he did not know about Viktor Orban's plans to visit Moscow immediately after his visit to Kyiv.
"As for Prime Minister Orban. He was in Kyiv and then flew to Moscow, I did not know that he was flying to Moscow, it was his independent choice," the head of state said.
Zelenskyy also answered the question of whether the Hungarian prime minister could mediate between Ukraine and Russia. According to the president, only strong allies can mediate.
"The whole world can force Russia to stop this war. This is not about mediation. It's about opportunities. You have to have an economy that affects Russia, and Putin depends on it. Or you have a very powerful army that Putin is afraid of, which is stronger than the Russian army. Are there many such countries in the world? Not many. I think the US is such a country, China and the EU. Not just one country, but the entire European Union. It can really be such a mediation mission," the Ukrainian leader said.
The Head of State also added that when Russian dictator Putin meets with the leaders of a particular state, it does not mean that he wants to end the war in Ukraine.
"He wants to demonstrate some steps, but this demonstration is always followed by a bloody demonstration, as it is this morning in Ukraine," the President added.
Orbán visited Kyiv on July 2. He met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Then, on July 5, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban paid an official visit to Moscow. In the Russian capital, he met with Russian dictator Vladimir Putin. A number of European leaders reacted rather sharply to the Hungarian prime minister's visit to Moscow. They emphasized that Orban did not represent the EU in Russia during his meeting with Putin.
