Ukraine Must Consider Ceasefire, Hungarian PM Orban Says
Prime Minister Viktor Orban (L) and President Volodymyr Zelensky (R), July 2, 2024. Photo: X/ @eurotopics_en
July 3, 2024 Hour: 7:54 am
On July 1, Hungary took over the Council of the EU rotating presidency for six months.
On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky met with visiting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to discuss cooperation and security issues.
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Orban asked Zelensky to consider the possibility of negotiating a ceasefire with Russia in order to “accelerate” peace talks.
“I have asked Mr. President to think about whether there is a possibility of taking a slightly different course, pausing, stopping the fire, and then starting negotiations because a ceasefire could accelerate the tempo of those talks,” Orbán said during a joint press conference with Zelensky.
The Hungarian Prime Minister also said that he “very much appreciates Zelensky’s initiatives to achieve peace,” but he warned that they may take a long time to produce results.
During their meeting, Zelensky and Orban discussed cooperation in the infrastructure and energy sectors, cross-border collaboration, and bilateral trade. They also touched upon initiatives designed to bring peace to Ukraine and preparations for the second peace summit.
The issues concerning the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine were another topic of the talks. Zelensky thanked Hungary for supporting Ukrainians and providing humanitarian aid to the country.
For his part, Orban pledged that Budapest would support Ukraine during the Hungarian presidency of the European Union (EU). Orban also suggested that Ukraine and Hungary may sign a bilateral agreement that will regulate their relations.
Orban arrived in Kiev earlier in the day for his first visit to Ukraine in 12 years. On July 1, Hungary took over the Council of the EU rotating presidency for six months.
Autor: teleSUR/ JF
Fuente: Xinhua - EFE
