BUDAPEST, October 17. /TASS/. The European Union’s refusal to establish contacts with Russia over the conflict in Ukraine is a big mistake, as negotiations are necessary, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in an interview with Germany’s The Pioneer news website during his visit to Berlin on October 14.
When asked what should be done to resolve the Ukrainian conflict, the prime minister said: "Conduct negotiations. This is a rare case in the history of wars when the opposing sides have no contact. It is a big mistake to openly and demonstratively declare that we do not want to talk to Russia."
Orban has repeatedly stated that Hungary believes the Ukrainian conflict cannot be resolved on the battlefield, that there can be no winners, and that it should be settled at the negotiating table. In this context, Budapest decided to keep diplomatic channels open with Moscow and urged its European allies to do the same. Hungary has supported settlement proposals for Ukraine put forward by China and Brazil, as well as the efforts of the Friends of Peace group formed by Global South countries at the UN.
Earlier, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban conducted a ten-day peace mission. He held talks with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky in Kiev on July 2, and met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow three days later. On July 8, the Hungarian premier made a trip to Beijing to discuss the Ukraine issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He also visited Washington, holding talks with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan on the sidelines of a NATO summit, and met with ex-US President Donald Trump in Florida to discuss ways to settle the Ukrainian crisis. Orban said later that Trump would solve the problem if re-elected US president in November.