Hungary’s Orban urges cease-fire on Kyiv visit but is Zelenskyy interested ? | DW News

Hungary’s Orban urges cease-fire on Kyiv visit but is Zelenskyy interested ? | DW News

the Hungarian prime minister Victor Orban has called on the Ukrainian President Vladimir zinski to consider a ceasefire with Russia Oran was speaking during a surprise trip to keev his first since Russia’s fullscale Invasion and one that comes a day after Hungary assumed the eu’s rotating presidency zilinsky for his part said Ukraine needed a just peace and called for Europe to keep up military aid to his country now Oran has been one of Europe’s Most most pro- Russia leaders and has opposed more aid for keev he had this advice for his host I asked the Ukrainian president to think about whether we could reverse the order to speed up peace talks by making a ceasefire first a ceasefire connected to a deadline would create an opportunity to speed up peace talks I explored this possibility with the president and I’m grateful for his honest answers and negotiation and we can get more from our correspondent in Ukraine Nick Connelly Nick tell us how oran’s suggestion went down in keev you can imagine Anya that the suggestions went down like a lead balloon with his hosts it was to be expected this is a leader that Ukraine has had very difficult relations with it’s his first visit to Ukraine for more than a decade not only has he not visited during The fullscale Invasion since 20122 but he wasn’t there before the last Ukrainian president he met with was vikor yanukovich that pro-russian leader who fled to Russia as the result of protest here in Ukraine and there’s been lots of bilateral issues about the Hungarian minority in Ukraine but since the War Began he said lots of things that really people have not liked in Ukraine saying that Ukraine is basically not a sovereign state anymore that it’s basically a puppet of the western country supporting this country’s military and its finances uh he has said that NATO shouldn’t look to see Ukraine win that that is just not going to happen so this was a visit that was expected with a lot of trepidation uh and now you could see Vol msky basically focusing on the fact that Hungary had been behind those Ukrainian efforts in the Swiss Summit the kind of Ukrainian peace plan and basically trying to ignore as much as he could all those words from Victor Orban that idea of a quick ceasefire just you know basically draw understand where those troops are right now and then see where it goes that is not something that V zinski has Ever Raised and potentially could raise given the kind of political situation so I think you this was a question of having to accept Victor Orban now his current his country with the rotating EU presidency it’s a visit of courtesy and trying to basically limit the damage that is as best as V zki could hope to achieve from this visit today okay what about ordinary ukrainians I mean would they accept a ceasefire on on these terms when you speak to people here they will admit that they’re tired they will admit that lots of people are scared going to the military or have known people who’ve been wounded or even killed but when you ask them are you willing to organize ceasefire to basically just let it stay as it is they’ll tell you as soon as that ceasefire comes into effect Western countries will think okay this is now over we don’t have to support Ukraine milit financially and will basically forget about Ukraine or Draw down on their support to such a level that in a year two three Russia having rebuild its military can come back again and get the remainder of the country there is a deep conviction amongst people here that Vladimir Putin is not intent on just leaving it as things are taking off a few regions that he wants to control this country in its entirety and so they do not believe that by giving Russia a chance to rebuild and the West a chance to distract itself that that would actually achieve anything and give them long-term security Nick thanks so much for that that’s DW’s Nick Connelly and we can cross straight to our Brussels correspondent ban rot for more on this good to see you bant what exactly is orban’s message here what does he mean by a quick ceasefire yeah that’s a very good question quick ceasefire can only mean that uh Ukraine gives into to the demands from the aggressor Russia so that Russia would further occupy the stretches of Ukraine and also um the Crimea Peninsula um a quick ceasefire should uh in orban’s view lead to peace talks uh with Russia um and he’s certainly talking speaking not on behalf of the whole EU not as a EU president because this is not um the common agreement or the common position of the EU so auan is is mostly um talking for himself um and you have to see also how this goes down in Brussels okay and what about Vladimir zelinsky’s uh reaction to this suggestion well zilinski the president of Ukraine replied that Ukraine needs adjust peace that means that Russia has to withraw from uh the occupied territories and also from Crimea and this is actually if you see that a long way to go still so these two um guys Oran and Selinsky are not on the same page um and also selinski said that he needs more and sustainable support from the EU for the foreseeable future and this is also something Mr Orban is trying to block and to water down as much as he can in the last months so also in here there’s still a huge disagreement so a clear rejection from zilinsky this is orban’s first visit to ke isn’t it since the war started it comes just a day after hunger took over the European uh Union presidency so should this visit be seen as a as a diplomatic gesture or do you think something uh concrete could actually come out of these talks well first of all it’s really a a diplomatic gesture because Orban shows that he is willing to engage now to talk to selinski at least in person something he hasn’t done for years um but uh we don’t see that um Victor Orban the Hungarian prime minister actually changes his position he is very close affiliated with Russia he’s doing business with Russia he’s getting gas from Russia he’s building a nuclear plant together with Russia in in Hungary he did not um say that he would alter his position and as I said he’s the only one in the EU who’s who’s blocking the efforts to help Ukraine more and he’s the only one also in NATO who’s uh not participating in in a military aid package so we have to see if these uh words actually follow action B thank you that’s DW’s B got reporting from Brussels

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has encouraged Ukraine to agree to a cease-fire with Russia, as he made his first visit to the country since Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Orban is seen as one of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest allies in the European Union and he has repeatedly tried to slow and block support for Ukraine within the bloc.

The Hungarian leader’s visit came after he took over the rotating EU presidency on Monday.

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