In Kyiv, Hungary's Orban proposes Ukraine ceasefire

STORY: :: Hungary's Orban meets Zelenskiy on his first trip to Kyiv in more than a decade

:: July 2, 2024

:: Kyiv, Ukraine

:: Viktor Orban, Hungarian Prime Minister

:: "I asked the President (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy) to think about whether we could reverse the order, and speed up peace talks by making a ceasefire first. A ceasefire connected to a deadline would give a chance to speed up peace talks. I explored this possibility with the president and I am grateful for his honest answers and negotiation.”

Orban, who has the warmest relations of any European leader with Russian President Vladimir Putin and is an outspoken critic of Western military aid to Ukraine, met Zelenskiy for talks on his first trip to Kyiv in more than a decade.

At brief joint statements to reporters after the talks, Orban said he valued Kyiv's push to promote Zelenskiy's vision of peace at an international summit in May in Switzerland and its aim to hold a second, follow-up summit later this year.

Zelenskiy, who spoke before Orban, did not respond to those comments during his prepared statement and did not have an opportunity to respond to questions.