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Door for negotiations on Ukraine opened, Hungarian PM believes

Viktor Orban reiterated that he had held a number of meetings and phone conversations with other leaders in order to settle the Ukraine conflict

BUDAPEST, December 12. /TASS/. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban thinks that the door has opened for talks on Ukraine thanks to his country’s presidency of the EU Council.

"Just six months ago, nobody wanted to hear about peace, while today everyone is talking about it. We opened the door for the beginning of actual talks. This is the most substantial result of Hungary’s presidency in the EU," he said in a video address on his page on Facebook (prohibited in Russia due to its ownership by Meta, which has been designated as extremist).

The Hungarian prime minister reiterated that over this time, he had held a number of meetings and phone conversations with other leaders in order to settle the Ukraine conflict. For instance, Orban visited Moscow and Kiev, however, he could convince neither Russian President Vladimir Putin, nor Vladimir Zelensky to agree to a ceasefire in order to foster conditions for talks.

As Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters earlier, Orban proposed a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine and a Christmas truce, but the Kiev regime rejected this initiative. According to the Kremlin official, Moscow immediately reacted to the proposal with the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) handing over a list of suggestions on the POW swap to the Hungarian Embassy. Peskov also noted that the Russian side fully supports Orban’s efforts aimed at finding a peaceful settlement and resolving humanitarian issues related to the exchange of prisoners.

The Hungarian government intends to continue with its peacekeeping mission. Orban is hopeful that US President-elect Donald Trump, who has expressed his intention to address the situation after his inauguration on January 20, will help resolve the Ukraine conflict.

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Ukraine crisis Ukraine Hungary

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