War in Ukraine - Orban proposes ceasefire to Selensky
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a firebreak in the war with Russia. "International diplomatic rules are slow and complicated. I have asked the gentleman president to consider whether it might be possible to reverse the order and accelerate peace talks with a quick firebreak," Orban said after a meeting with Zelensky in Kiev, according to a report by the Hungarian news agency MTI. Currently, there are no negotiations between Kiev and Moscow. Orban visited Kiev for the first time since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 on Tuesday.
"The goal of the Hungarian EU presidency is to contribute to the solution of the challenges facing the European Union. My first trip therefore led me to Kiev," wrote the right-wing populist politician on Facebook in Hungarian. The relations between Kiev and Budapest are tense.
Hungary has just taken over the EU presidency for half a year. Orban had announced in an interview before his trip to Kiev that he wanted to take steps towards peace.
- Viktor Orban, the Head of state from Hungary, suggested a firebreak in the ongoing war between Ukraine and Russia to President Volodymyr Selensky during their meeting in Moscow's neighboring city, Kiev.
- Orban's appeal for a firebreak, a temporary pause in hostilities to allow for peace negotiations, comes amidst the lack of talks between the Head of state of Ukraine, Volodymyr Selensky, and Russia's representatives in Kiev.
- The Hungarian EU presidency, currently led by Orban, aims to contribute to resolving the challenges facing the European Union, leading to Orban's first visit to Kiev since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
- Orban's stance towards peace negotiations with Russia has been clear, as demonstrated in his announcement of taking steps towards peace before his trip to Ukraine's capital, Kiev.
- Despite the tense relations between Ukraine and Hungary, Orban still decided to travel to Kiev, citing the Hungarian EU presidency's goal of addressing the EU's challenges as his reason.
- Hungary, now leading the EU presidency for half a year, boasts its right-wing populist politician, Orban, who has declared a desire to contribute to peaceful resolution of conflicts within the Union.
- With the absence of peace negotiations and the constant threat of war, the need for swift and effectively facilitated diplomacy between Ukraine, Russia, and the broader European Union is more pressing than ever, as emphasized by Viktor Orban.
