PM Orban on Peace Mission Meets With Vladimir Putin + Video

Following his trip to Kyiv, the Hungarian prime minister - whose country currently holds the six-month EU Presidency - also traveled to Moscow where he is having talks with the Russian President in the Kremlin. PM Orban remarked that countries willing and able to talk to both parties in the war are slowly running out. Hungary is slowly becoming the only country in Europe that will communicate with everyone.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold talks in Moscow on July 5, 2024 (Photo: MTI/PM's Press Office/ Vivien Cher Benko) Fotó: Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Benko Vivi

The prime minister of Hungary, which holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of the EU, is in Moscow for talks as part of his peace mission. Viktor Orban arrived in the Russian capital on Friday after a visit to Kyiv. As Magyar Nemzet reported earlier one topic of discussion between Putin and Orban naturally is Ukraine.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin shaking hands ahead of their meeting in Moscow on July 5, 2024 (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister's Press Office/ Vivien Cher Benko)

RIA later also reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin received the Hungarian prime minister in the Kremlin on Friday. The Russian leader said that at the meeting he will share the details of Moscow's proposals for a peaceful settlement with Ukraine and expects to learn the details of the Hungarian plan. Putin said he was happy to welcome the prime minister in Moscow. He also clarified that Orban had arrived as the prime minister of the country which is holding the rotating EU presidency.

Viktor Orban thanked the Russian Federation president for the welcome and noted that "this meeting is more unique than the previous one", RIA reported.

Thank you for welcoming me in the midst of such a difficult situation. I have to say, Mr President, that we are running out of countries that can talk to both sides in the war. Hungary is slowly becoming the only country in Europe that will communicate with everyone. I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you about important issues. I would like to hear your views on some issues that are important for Europe,

Hungary's PM announced at this stop on his peace mission.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (fourth from left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin (fifth from right) hold talks in Moscow on  July 5, 2024. Hungarian delegation: Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto (second from left) and the PM's Chief National Security Advisor Marcell Biro (far left), with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (third from right) (Photo: MTI/PM's Press Office/ Vivien Cher Benko)

Peter Szijjarto put out a post on Facebook about the Moscow trip. The Hungarian foreign minister wrote:

The last two and a half years have shown that the war in our neighborhood has no solution on the battlefield. In order to put an end to human suffering, a ceasefire and peace negotiations are needed as soon as possible. We hope that today's meeting in Moscow will bring peace closer.

As part of his peace mission, Viktor Orban also recently met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv to discuss bringing about peace to  end the Russian-Ukrainian war, as Magyar Nemzet reported earlier. 

In Ukraine, the Hungarian prime minister stressed:

"after Hungary took over the EU presidency my first trip led here because the issue of peace is important not only for Ukraine, but for all of Europe (...) The war that the Ukrainians are now suffering deeply affects European security".

Mr Orban stated that he values the initiatives for peace taken by the president of Ukraine, but told  Volodymyr Zelensky that these initiatives would take a long time.

The rules of international diplomacy are cumbesome and complicated. I have asked the President to consider whether the order of the process could be reversed by achieving a prompt ceasefire in order to speed up the peace talks. This would mean a time-bound ceasefire opening up the possibility of accelerating the peace talks: I have explored the possibilities of this,

 he offered.

Cover image: In the photo published by the Prime Minister's Press Office, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban (left) and Russian President Vladimir Putin hold talks in Moscow on July 5, 2024 (Photo: MTI/PM's Press Office/ Vivien Cher Benko)