Visiting President Zelensky In Kyiv, Hungarian PM Proposes Ceasefire To Accelerate Peaceful Negotiations

JAKARTA - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire, in order to accelerate the end of the war with Russia.

PM Orban, a strong critic of Western military aid to Ukraine and EU leader who has the warmest ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, held talks with President Zelensky during his visit to Kyiv.

In a joint statement after the talks, PM Orban said he appreciated Kyiv's push to promote President Zelensky's peace vision at an international summit in June in Switzerland and the goal was to hold a second summit, a follow-up later this year.

"I ask the president to think about whether we can reverse the order, and speed up peace negotiations by making a ceasefire first," PM Orban said.

"The ceasefire associated with the deadline will provide an opportunity to speed up peace negotiations. I am exploring this possibility with the president and I am grateful for his honest answers and negotiations," he continued.

Meanwhile, President Zelensky, speaking before PM Orban, did not respond to the comments.

The Ukrainian leader praised the possibility of a broad bilateral cooperation agreement between Ukraine and Hungary.

"The content of our dialogue today on all issues can be the basis for bilateral documents between our countries, a document that will regulate all of our reciprocal relations," he said.

Welcoming President Zelensky's comments, PM Orban said Hungary wanted to help modernize Ukraine's economy.

The relationship between the two neighboring countries came under heavy pressure after Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with Budapest often opposing the European Union's efforts to support Kyiv.

PM Orban attributed a surprise visit to Ukraine to the Hungarian position that will hold the European Council's rotating presidential position for the next six months starting Monday.

"The goal of the Hungarian presidency is to contribute to solving the challenges facing the European Union. That is why my first trip is to Kyiv," Orban wrote on Facebook after he arrived in Kyiv.