Hungarian Prime Minister Orban: Major powers will hold talks between Russia and Ukraine
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that talks between Russia and Ukraine would be organized by major powers, and expressed his “want to encourage all sides” to start negotiations.
According to TASS news agency (Russia) on July 5, in the morning radio program of Kossuth radio (Hungary), Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will be organized by major powers with the desire to promote the conflicting parties to achieve peace.
“Hungary is aware of its position and role; major negotiations will be conducted by major countries,” said the Hungarian Prime Minister. At the same time, Prime Minister Orban noted that Hungary “wants to encourage all parties” to start negotiations. Mr. Orban explained that this is exactly the goal he is pursuing.
Earlier, on July 2, Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Kiev and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. After the trip, Mr. Orban said he would inform the leaders of the European Union and other European countries about the results of the meeting with Mr. Zelensky.
The Hungarian prime minister said he wanted to clarify how far each side in the conflict would go to achieve peace, and what the limits were for Russia and Ukraine to accept.
“European leaders, and then the 27 prime ministers, will be able to make decisions together. And long-term decisions will be discussed by those who hold the main power. However, there is still a long way to go. At the moment, we can only take the first steps towards peace,” said Prime Minister Orban, stressing that “without dialogue, there can be no movement towards peace.”
Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported on July 5 that European Council President Charles Michel criticized Prime Minister Viktor Orban's decision to visit Russia, and banned the Hungarian leader from speaking to Russian President Vladimir Putin on behalf of the EU.
According to Mr. Michel, Hungary's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union "does not give the country the right to interact with Russia on behalf of the entire EU."
EU diplomats are concerned that Prime Minister Orban, who has met with President Putin since the conflict in Ukraine broke out, is using Hungary’s presidency of the EU Council to undermine the alliance’s efforts to punish and isolate Russia, Bloomberg reported.