BUDAPEST, December 20. /TASS/. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he does not intend to react to Vladimir Zelensky's provocative statements on his proposal for a Christmas ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine.
Commenting on Zelensky's disparaging remarks about Hungary's peace initiative on Kossuth radio, Orban said: "One should not give in to provocations." He added that he was even ready to "treat this with magnanimity" since Zelensky was leading a country in a difficult situation and engaged in hostilities.
The prime minister reiterated that his proposal for a Christmas ceasefire and prisoner exchange between Ukraine and Russia remains on the table. He expressed hope that Kiev would reconsider its position and agree to conclude such an arrangement by Orthodox Christmas, which will be celebrated on January 7. In his opinion, this would be in Ukraine's interests.
Orban made the proposal for a ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine over Christmas during a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin on December 11. Moscow reacted quickly to the initiative, and immediately after the conversation between the two leaders, the Federal Security Service forwarded the prisoner exchange proposals to the Hungarian embassy in Moscow. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the Russian side supported the Hungarian prime minister's efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Ukraine and to resolve humanitarian issues related to the prisoner exchange.
On the same day, Orban wanted to discuss his initiative over phone with Vladimir Zelensky, but the latter refused to speak with the Hungarian prime minister. According to Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, the refusal was made "in a somewhat tense, but polite form." The top diplomat called it "an absolutely unprecedented gesture in diplomacy." Zelensky later tried to ridicule the Hungarian proposals, questioning Orban's sincerity and accusing him of simply trying to gain popularity.
Speaking at the combined Direct Line Q&A and year-end press conference on December 19, Putin recounted his conversation with Orban about his proposal and noted that Russia had agreed to "measures of this kind" at least three times, including on Black Sea shipping and energy infrastructure. The president added that this time, too, he did not reject the proposal for a ceasefire and prisoner exchange, while Zelensky rejected it. According to Putin, the "head of the Ukrainian regime" had previously said that he refused both negotiations and a ceasefire.