MOSCOW, July 5. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in the Kremlin. Last time, the two politicians met in October, 2023, at the Belt and Road forum in China.

For the next six months, Hungary will chair the European Council. On June 2, Orban visited Kiev as the leader of a European Council presiding nation, where he met with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky.

Orban offered Zelensky conditions for a ceasefire in Ukraine, but Zelensky rejected them, according to his office.

The prime minister himself explained that he represented the European continent, and peace is in its best interest, but it could only be achieved through talks with Russia. Previously, Kiev legally prohibited such talks under Zelensky’s own decree.

The Hungarian government has repeatedly stated that communication channels with Russia must remain open, including in order to find a way to settle the Ukrainian crisis. Meanwhile, in regards to his talks today, Orban noted that he came in his personal capacity, not as a representative of the European Union.

Budapest has been criticized and even pressured, as Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov pointed out, by the EU for its excessive independence. Meanwhile, the Kremlin representative characterized Orban as a politician, who can defend the interests of his country rather firmly.