Orban says he suggested that Putin consider ceasefire in Ukraine
Orban said that he had earlier made the same proposal during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who rejected the idea
GENEVA, July 6. /TASS/. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he suggested to Russian President Vladimir Putin the idea of a short-term ceasefire in Ukraine when they met in the Kremlin.
Orban told the Swiss news outlet Die Weltwoche that he asked Putin what he thought about a "chance to have a short, limited ceasefire" before starting peace talks. According to the Hungarian prime minister, the Russian president said he was "not optimistic on that."
Orban said that he had earlier made the same proposal during a meeting with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, who rejected the idea, believing that Russian forces could take advantage of the situation. According to Orban, the Russian president also said the Ukrainians would use the ceasefire against Russia.
"I said: Let’s consider it," Orban told the news organization. "Next time, we can continue."
On July 4, Putin told reporters that Russia could not agree to a ceasefire because Moscow is not sure Kiev would reciprocate. According to the president, the enemy cannot be allowed to take advantage of a ceasefire to improve its situation, get more weapons, reconstitute its military units with the help of forced mobilization and be ready to continue the armed conflict. Taking questions from news media following talks with Orban on July 5, Putin said Russia was not seeking a ceasefire or a pause that Kiev could take advantage of, but a complete end to the conflict in Ukraine. Putin reiterated he had laid out the conditions for this in his recent speech at the Foreign Ministry.
Putin and Orban spent more than 2 1/2 hours holding talks in the Kremlin on Friday. The discussions were attended by delegations that included the foreign ministers of both countries. Kremlin aides Yury Ushakov and Vladimir Medinsky were also present on the Russian side. Medinsky led the Russian delegation at the Moscow-Kiev talks that were derailed by the West.
Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Budapest had proposed the Hungarian prime minister's visit to Russia just two days before it happened.