BUDAPEST, March 29. /TASS/. Western countries need to hold talks directly with Russia on resolving the conflict in Ukraine in place of Kiev because Moscow does not see Ukraine as a suitable negotiating partner, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

In a conversation with former Austrian Chancellor Wolfgang Schussel, which was published in a new magazine titled European Voices and was also covered by the Hungarian media, Orban highlighted the need to launch talks as soon as possible. He added, however, that the Russians did not see the Ukrainians as partners.

Meanwhile, Orban believes that if Russia holds negotiations only with the United States, Europe’s interests would be at risk because, apart from resolving the situation in Ukraine, the negotiations should also address broader issues related to Europe’s future security architecture. The Hungarian prime minister is confident that the European Union must not be left out of the equation.

Orban also argued that although Russia was responsible for the conflict in Ukraine, the Europeans needed to make greater diplomatic efforts to prevent hostilities from escalating further. Schussel did not agree, saying that the West had done everything possible to avoid a military confrontation.