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Hungary not optimistic about Ukraine conference, PM to skip out — government

Explaining why Viktor Orban will not go to the conference in Switzerland, Gergely Gulyas said one should not expect much from "peace conferences without warring parties or when only one of them is present"

BUDAPEST, June 13./TASS/. Hungary does not have high expectations for the conference on Ukraine in Switzerland since only one of the warring parties will be represented there, Gergely Gulyas, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, told a briefing.

Explaining why Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will not go to the conference in Switzerland, Gulyas said one should not expect much from "peace conferences without warring parties or when only one of them is present."

Also, Orban has no plans to go to Switzerland for the sake of meeting Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who will be at the conference, because he does not see the need for it. "We do not hold meetings just for a photo shoot," he said.

The minister said that Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto would travel to Switzerland to present "Hungary's position in favor of peace at the peace conference."

The foreign minister said earlier that he would attend the conference on Ukraine because Hungary appreciates the efforts of Switzerland and considers it necessary to use every chance to achieve peace. However, as the minister noted, "the presence of all the opposing parties is a prerequisite for a truly successful peace conference, which, unfortunately, will not be the case."

The Swiss authorities plan to hold the conference on Ukraine on June 15-16 at the Burgenstock resort. Bern has invited more than 160 delegations, including those from the G7, the G20, and BRICS. According to the Swiss authorities, Russia is not among those invited to this meeting.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that Moscow will not push to participate in the conference if it is not welcomed there. According to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, holding this event is a "road to nowhere," and Russia does not perceive any genuine willingness from the West to handle the matter fairly. Russia repeatedly emphasized that it has never rejected a peaceful resolution of the conflict with Kiev.

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Ukraine crisis Hungary

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