Ukraine rejects Hungary's ceasefire proposal.
Ukraine has rejected Hungarian Prime Minister Orban's ceasefire proposal to negotiate with Russia.
According to RIA Novosti, Ukrainian Deputy Chief of Staff Igor Zhovkva said on a Ukrainian television program on July 2 that President Volodymyr Zelensky had listened to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ceasefire proposal, but Kyiv would seek a solution through other methods.
“Prime Minister Orban has expressed his thoughts. This is not the first country to talk about such possible scenarios. President Volodymyr Zelensky listened to his interlocutor, but Zelensky’s position is quite clear, understandable, and widely known,” said the Deputy Chief of Staff of the President of Ukraine.
According to Igor Zhovkva, the ceasefire issue cannot be considered in isolation from the current situation. The official added that Ukraine will seek to resolve the conflict by holding peace summits.
On July 2nd, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban visited Kyiv for the first time in 12 years. Orban stated that his goal was to resolve issues peacefully and develop bilateral relations. In a press conference with President Zelensky, the Hungarian Prime Minister said he had asked Kyiv to consider a ceasefire before negotiations to resolve the situation in Ukraine.
"I asked President Zelensky to consider whether it might be possible to take a slightly different approach, to pause the war and then resume negotiations," said Hungarian Prime Minister Orban.
Prime Minister Orban emphasized that the issue of peace in Ukraine will be the main focus during Hungary's rotating presidency of the European Union for the next six months.
On the Russian side, the Kremlin said it did not expect any results from Prime Minister Orban's visit to Kyiv.
Gabor Stier, a member of the Valdai International Discussion Club, believes that the Hungarian Prime Minister's initiative does not meet the "position of the Ukrainian authorities." Furthermore, Russia has stated its willingness to engage in dialogue on peace, not on a temporary ceasefire. Therefore, according to expert Stier, the Hungarian Prime Minister's initiative is currently unlikely to be implemented.
