Hungary FM: Only Ceasefire, Peace Talks Can Lead to End of Ukraine War

"Hungary's strategy on the war in Ukraine has proven to be the correct one," Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said in Budapest on Wednesday, arguing that it is clear that only a ceasefire and peace talks could put an end to the conflict.

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto at the EU-Montenegro intergovernmental conference in Brussels on December 16, 2024 (Photo: Tamas Purger)

The war in Ukraine has been going on for more than a thousand days, and during this time it has been proven that the Hungarian strategy is the right one, Hungary's foreign minister said. For over a thousand days we have been arguing in favor of ending the war, for over a thousand days we have been arguing in favor of a ceasefire and the beginning of peace negotiations, he pointed out.

Unfortunately, hundreds of thousands have died in our neighborhood over the last more than one thousand days, and millions or even tens of millions have been forced to leave their homes, the destruction in Ukraine was dramatic,

he said.
All of this could be stopped and could have been prevented if an agreement had been reached on a ceasefire and starting peace talks in line with the Hungarian position, he underlined.

Peace is the only solution," he said. "There’s no solution to this war on the battlefield, that much has become clear,

he pointed out.
The  coming Christmas holiday could have been an excellent opportunity for a ceasefire, as it could have saved lives, Peter Szijjarto opined.
"We regret that, despite the efforts of the Hungarian peace mission - which is still on the table - Ukraine and the Ukrainian leadership rejected this opportunity for a ceasefire," he said.

And the fact that the vast majority of European Union countries cannot see the reality of the situation is just as sad,

he added.
As the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump gets closer with each day, the Russian army is also making significant advances on the front line, he emphasized.
"There’s a new reality, a qualitatively new situation, and yet many in Europe are acting as if this hadn’t happened," Szijjarto said. "We regret this. This costs lives, and it’s clear that weapon deliveries don’t solve anything and haven’t changed anything on the battlefield," the minister said.

The only possible scenario that leads to peace, to saving lives, is a ceasefire and starting peace talks,

Peter Szijjarto stressed.

Cover photo: Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto at the EU-Montenegro intergovernmental conference in Brussels on December 16, 2024 (Photo: Tamas Purger)