President Zelenskyy stressed, “we must prioritize unity, not personal agendas.”Continue reading
Speaking at a conference on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy strongly criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his attempts to mediate a ceasefire.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy will not allow Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to mediate in the talks to end the war in Ukraine, Magyar Nemzet reported, citing Eurasia Daily. In his speech at the All-Ukrainian Congress of Local and Regional Authorities, Ukraine’s President touched on Orbán’s peace-seeking role in the Russian-Ukrainian conflict.
Speaking at the event in Lviv, President Zelenskyy stressed that Ukraine is a strong country and has shown this on the battlefield against Putin’s aggression. “We are a strong country, we have shown this on the battlefield. Does anyone in Europe have such a modern example? No one. Does Orbán have such an army? No. How will he put pressure on Putin? A joke, a smile? Let him keep it for himself,” he reportedly said.
President Zelenskyy also mentioned that Ukraine needs direct, unmediated relations with the United States, noting that he hopes that Donald Trump “will add strength” to their plan.
Prime Minister Orbán, who wants peace for Ukraine, knows somewhere that (…) it will not work. I will not let him or people like him arrange it,”
the Ukrainian President added.
⚡️Ukraine does not need intermediaries like Orban. I will not let him in. We must interact with the US directly, – Zelensky. pic.twitter.com/0kxmwIUnhW
— MilitaryNewsUA (@front_ukrainian) December 17, 2024
On Monday, a statement was published on the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry’s website calling on the Hungarian government to stop “manipulating” the prisoner exchange and ceasefire in the Russian-Ukrainian war for Christmas. “Hungarian officials again claim that they can stop the war, but these claims are not true. In reality, after Hungarian peacekeeping appeals to Moscow, deadly missiles and drones are flying towards Ukrainian cities and settlements,” the statement said. They added: “The actions of the Hungarian side are even further from peacekeeping than the declarations.” The statement stressed, “We call on the Hungarian side to stop immoral manipulations on the issue of peace and Christmas, to refrain from unilateral engagement with the aggressor state, which undermines joint efforts to restore a just peace.”
As previously reported, the Hungarian Prime Minister has recently held a series of talks on a peaceful settlement to the Russia-Ukraine war during his recent peace mission. Orbán has also held talks with Vladimir Putin and expressed his desire to help find a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
During their one-hour telephone conversation, Orbán also proposed a Christmas ceasefire and prisoner exchanges, which Zelenskyy firmly rejected.
Via Magyar Nemzet, Eurasia Daily; Featured image: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Benko Vivien Cher