Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday discussed the Ukraine conflict and Orban said that Ukraine's leader had rejected a proposal for a Christmas ceasefire.
“We proposed a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange. It's sad that President Volodymyr Zelensky clearly rejected and ruled this out today. We did what we could,” Orban wrote on the X social media platform.
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Ukraine denied claims concerning a Christmas ceasefire with Orban and prisoner exchange in its war with Russia. “As always, the Hungarian side did not discuss anything with Ukraine. As always, the Hungarian side did not warn (us) about its contacts with Moscow,” presidential aide Dmytro Lytvyn said in a written statement. The Ukrainian presidency did not immediately confirm the information.
We all hope that @PM_ViktorOrban at least won’t call Assad in Moscow to listen to his hour-long lectures as well.
It’s absolutely clear that achieving real peace and guaranteed security requires America’s determination, Europe’s unity, and the unwavering commitment of all…
— Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) December 11, 2024
Earlier, the Kremlin said “there was a thorough exchange of views on Ukrainian issues” and that Putin said Kyiv had adopted a "destructive" position that ruled out a peace agreement. The call was initiated at Orban's request, the Kremlin said, and came a day after Hungary's top diplomat said his country would forge ahead with its self-styled Ukraine “peace mission.”
“Viktor Orban expressed interest in assisting the joint search for political-diplomatic paths to resolve the crisis,” the Kremlin said. Orban confirmed “an hour-long conversation” with the Russian leader, warning that “these are the most dangerous weeks of the war.”
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Russia Says ATACMS Used in Taganrog Airfield Strike, Vows Retaliation
Moscow said Kyiv fired six US-made ATACMS missiles at an airfield in Taganrog on Wednesday morning, where it claimed to have intercepted two and diverted four using electronic warfare (EW) systems.
Zelensky criticized Orban for making the call. “No one should boost personal image at the expense of unity, everyone should focus on shared success. Unity in Europe has always been key to achieving it,” he said on X.
Orban met US President-elect Donald Trump at his Florida estate this week. The Republican has said he will push for a speedy end to the conflict.
The Hungarian leader – the closest political partner of both Trump and Putin in the European Union – has repeatedly called for peace talks and refused to send military aid to Ukraine since Russia launched its offensive in February 2022.