BRUSSELS, August 12. /TASS/. EU countries, excluding Hungary, called on US President Donald Trump to conduct negotiations on the settlement in Ukraine "only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities," the leaders of 26 of the 27 EU countries said in a statement.
"Meaningful negotiations can only take place in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities," the document stated. This phrase literally repeats the position previously publicly voiced by EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas in the context of the upcoming Russia-US summit in Alaska. This means that EU leaders simply used the thesis prepared for them by the European diplomatic service.
At the end of the statement is a small-print footnote stating that "Hungary does not associate itself with this statement."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has explained on social media why he refused to support the leaders' statement. "The fact that the EU was left on the sidelines is sad enough as it is. The only thing that could make things worse is if we started providing instructions from the bench," he wrote, stressing that doing so could only complicate the process further.
The rest of the document contains a standard set of European theses. It praises the US president's peacekeeping efforts, calls for an honest and fair peace in Ukraine that respects the principle of territorial integrity, and promises to increase pressure on Russia. The document also vows to expand military and financial support for the Kiev regime and alleges that "the path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine.".