Visit to “opponent” Selenskyj
Hungarian Prime Minister Orban urges ceasefire in Kyiv
02.07.2024, 16:52
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Kremlin friend Victor Orban has not changed his attitude towards Russia even after the Russian attack on Ukraine. In the third year of the war, he is now travelling to his “enemy” Volodymyr Zelenskyj in Kiev – to make a demand to the attacked country.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has called on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to quickly agree to a ceasefire with Russia. Such a step could “accelerate” peace negotiations with Moscow, Orban said during his first visit to the Ukrainian capital Kyiv since the war began more than two years ago. Zelensky countered the Hungarian Prime Minister by saying that his country needed a “just peace”.
Orban said at a joint press conference that he had asked Zelensky to “quickly consider the possibility of a ceasefire.” Such a ceasefire would be “time-limited and would allow peace negotiations to be accelerated.”
Despite the Russian war of aggression that has been going on for more than two years, Orban continues to maintain close relations with Moscow. The Hungarian head of government has repeatedly delayed sanctions against Russia and EU financial aid for Kyiv. He also criticized the opening of EU accession negotiations with Ukraine. In October 2023, Orban attended a summit in Beijing with Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin. It was the first meeting of an EU head of state and government with Putin since the war began.
Visit planned for months
According to Ukrainian government sources, Orban’s visit to Zelensky had been planned for months. Other EU heads of state and government as well as representatives of other Western allies of Ukraine regularly travel to Kyiv for solidarity visits.
On Monday, Hungary took over the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Orban said he would report to the EU heads of state and government on his talks with Zelensky so that the EU could make the “necessary decisions”.
Zelensky said Orban’s visit to Kyiv showed the “common European priorities” to “bring a just peace to Ukraine and the whole of Europe.” At the same time, the Ukrainian head of state called on the EU to maintain its aid to his country. It is “very important for all of us in Europe that Europe’s support for Ukraine remains at a sufficient level, including with regard to our defense against Russian terror,” said Zelensky.
Orban counts Selenskyj among “opponents”
The relationship between Orban and Zelensky has been extremely tense since the war began. In a speech after his re-election in April 2022, Orban had counted Zelensky among his “opponents”. Zelensky, in turn, had repeatedly sharply criticized the Hungarian head of government for his lack of support for Ukraine.
In December, Orban and Zelensky met briefly at the inauguration of Argentine President Javier Milei and, according to Zelensky, had an “open” conversation. Videos circulating on the Internet showed the heated exchange. Similar images emerged after another brief encounter at the EU summit in Brussels last week.