War in Ukraine - US institute sees no real willingness to negotiate on Putin's part
Putin, according to US experts, showed no genuine willingness for negotiations in his offensive war against Ukraine after his meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Putin reportedly demanded Ukraine's capitulation through "demilitarization" and the surrender of significant territories that Russia currently does not occupy, according to the analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in Washington. Putin also rejected a ceasefire in the conflict for two consecutive days. The Ukraine and Russia accuse each other of using the ceasefire to rearm and reposition troops.
During Orban's visit to Putin on Friday, ISW experts noted that the Hungarian prime minister seemed to be trying to divert the West's attention from military aid for Ukraine towards the possibility of peace negotiations. Orban wanted to position himself as a potential mediator for ending the war in Ukraine, although Putin had no interest in this.
According to ISW, Orban's actions undermine EU support for Ukraine. The experts frequently point out that Putin uses his alleged willingness to negotiate primarily to divide the West and ultimately break military support for Ukraine's allies. Orban has frequently spoken out against EU military aid for Ukraine.
Orban accuses NATO of conflict-seeking
Orban said during a joint appearance with Putin at the Kremlin that Moscow's and Kiev's proposals for resolving the conflict were far apart. Before his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev, Orban had called for a ceasefire. Russia and Ukraine accuse each other of having no interest in negotiations and preferring to fight on the battlefield instead.
In an opinion piece for the magazine "Newsweek," Orban accused NATO of violating its founding principles. "But instead of peace, war-making is on the agenda today, instead of defense, it is aggression," Orban wrote in the piece.
- The USA, through analysts at the Institute for the Study of War in Washington, has expressed concern over Putin's lack of sincerity in negotiations, as he continues his aggressive war against Ukraine.
- Despite Orban's efforts during his visit to Moscow to divert the West's focus towards peace negotiations, Putin, as reported by ISW, has shown no interest in ending the conflict in Ukraine.
- Orban's support for Moscow's proposals for resolving the conflict, as expressed during his joint appearance with Putin at the Kremlin, has sparked criticism from EU members, who accuse him of undermining EU support for Ukraine.
- In an op-ed published in "Newsweek", Orban accused NATO of violating its founding principles, suggesting that instead of promoting peace and defense, it is now engaging in war-making and aggression.
- The conflicts between Ukraine and Russia have also led to tensions between Orban and certain EU members, with some accusing him of aligning more with Russia's interests than those of the EU, particularly in relation to the ongoing conflict.
