BUDAPEST, August 21. /TASS/. Hungary has repeatedly offered to host a summit in Budapest for Russia and Ukraine to settle the conflict, the city is a suitable venue for such a meeting, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on YouTube.

Commenting on reports that Budapest is being considered as a potential venue for talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vladimir Zelensky, as well as US leader Donald Trump, the top diplomat said: "It only makes sense to comment on such reports and rumors if they are plausible. As far as Budapest is concerned, they are plausible."

Szijjarto recalled that the Hungarian government has repeatedly offered its territory for negotiations between Russia and Ukraine, and this offer stands. "Let us know at least an hour before your arrival, and we will be ready to guarantee fair, safe, and equal conditions for all parties in Hungary," the foreign minister emphasized.

He recalled that back in 2022, immediately after the conflict began, he had suggested to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Ukrainian presidential administration head Andrey Yermak that a Russian-Ukrainian meeting be held in Budapest. "I told them that if they were looking for a place for dialogue that would lead to peace after the war ended, they could come to Hungary at any time," Szijjarto said. According to him, he has repeatedly confirmed Hungary's readiness to host a meeting at any level to resolve the Ukrainian conflict since then.

"Obviously, this is one of the reasons why Budapest has always been mentioned as a possible venue for the Russia-Ukraine talks," the top diplomat noted. The second reason, he said, is that Hungary has maintained open channels of communication with all parties and has always called for the continuation of peaceful dialogue.

"Over the past three and a half years, Hungary has maintained the ability to engage in mutually respectful dialogue with the leaders of the US and Russia simultaneously. I don't know of any other European leader who could speak on equal terms with Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin except for [Hungarian Prime Minister] Viktor Orban. It is clear that our cooperation with the US and Russia is based on mutual respect," the foreign minister said. According to him, "Hungary has maintained diplomatic channels of communication with Russia, and the president of the US and the prime minister of Hungary have a friendly relationship."

Finally, Budapest is "simply a good place," as everyone knows. For this reason, it is also being discussed as a possible venue for negotiations, Szijjarto added. "We are ready to contribute to the success of peace efforts" to settle the conflict in Ukraine, the top diplomat emphasized.