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

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)