Orbán aims to shift West's focus from supporting Ukraine to peace talks - ISW

The American Institute for the Study of War (ISW) reported this.

Orbán keeps positioning himself as a mediator to end the Ukraine war, even though Russian leader Vladimir Putin refuses to negotiate seriously.

ISW highlights Orbán's July 5 Newsweek article where he blamed NATO for choosing conflict over peace, which he argues NATO was meant to support.

"Orbán is likely aiming to shift Western focus towards possible peace negotiations as part of his overarching effort to undermine European support for Ukraine," the report states.

ISW noted that Orbán consistently tries to undermine the EU's military aid to Ukraine.

The report also mentions Bulgarian Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, who on July 5 proposed Bulgaria as a mediator in Ukraine-Russia peace talks, emphasizing that talks should adhere to the UN Charter and international law.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan also urged Ukraine to speed up the peace process to prevent "deepening polarization" and "prioritize diplomacy."

• Notably, on Friday, July 5, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited Moscow, met with Putin, and called for a ceasefire.