Hungarian Prime Minister to Meet Vladimir Putin After Trip to Ukraine

A Hungarian official told Radio Free Europe that Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary, is scheduled to travel to Moscow on July 6 to meet with Vladimir Putin, the President of Russia. Mr. Orban, known as one of the staunchest critics among EU and NATO leaders regarding EU assistance to Ukraine, recently visited Kyiv and met with Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine. This government source informed Radio Free Europe on Thursday, July 6, that Peter Szijjarto, the Hungarian Foreign Minister, will accompany Mr. Orban on this trip. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine two years ago, Mr. Szijjarto has traveled to Russia more than five times. The press office of the Hungarian Prime Minister has not yet responded to Radio Free Europe's request for comment. Last month, Vladimir Putin announced that if Kyiv cedes four regions of Ukraine to Russia and abandons its decision to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), Russia would also end its war with Ukraine. However, Ukraine reacted by calling Putin's proposal 'absurd' and aimed at 'misleading the international community, undermining diplomatic efforts for a just peace, and destroying the unity of the majority of the world around the goals and principles of the UN Charter.' Orban: Proposed Ceasefire in Meeting with Zelensky Viktor Orban, who has close ties with Vladimir Putin, traveled to Kyiv on July 3 and proposed a ceasefire to Volodymyr Zelensky, aiming to stop the war with Russia. After the meeting with Zelensky, Viktor Orban did not provide details about the content of this proposal but mentioned that he asked the Ukrainian President, 'Is there a possibility for a ceasefire and the continuation of negotiations? Because a ceasefire guarantees the speed of negotiations.' This discussion took place a day after Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union, which is notable as Viktor Orban has been recognized as a vocal and consistent critic of Western military aid to Kyiv since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Volodymyr Zelensky did not express his opinion on this proposal during a briefing with journalists after the meeting with the Hungarian Prime Minister, but his spokesperson later stated that Zelensky allowed Orban to express his views. Ihor Zhovkva, Deputy Head of Volodymyr Zelensky's Office, also mentioned that Hungary is not the first country to propose a potential peace plan. He stated that Mr. Zelensky listened to the Hungarian Prime Minister's proposal but responded that Ukraine's positions are 'completely clear, understandable, and well-known.' Ukraine insists that its 'territorial integrity' must be the basis for any peace agreement, a concept emphasized by 80 countries present at the global peace summit for Ukraine held last month in Switzerland at Ukraine's initiative. Viktor Orban last visited Moscow in September 2022, when he paid his respects at the funeral of Mikhail Gorbachev, the former President of the Soviet Union.