Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrives in Kyiv, proposes to consider ceasefire

During a press conference alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Hungarian Prime Minister Orban emphasized the profound impact of Russia's war on Ukraine's security and expressed that Hungary "highly appreciates" Ukrainian President's peace initiatives.

Orban suggested considering an alternative approach of first achieving a ceasefire to expedite complex international diplomatic efforts towards peace negotiations. He also conveyed gratitude to Zelenskyy for his perspectives on this matter, marking his first visit to Kyiv in 12 years on July 2.

"I told Zelensky that these initiatives take a lot of time. And it is because of the rules of international diplomacy that they are very complicated. I asked Zelensky to think about whether it is possible to do it differently: first, to cease fire, and then to negotiate peace. Because a ceasefire could accelerate the pace of these negotiations," the Hungarian prime minister said.

Earlier, Viktor Orban announced the purpose of his visit on Facebook.

"The purpose of the Hungarian presidency is to contribute to solving the challenges facing the European Union. My first trip, therefore, led to Kyiv," the Hungarian Prime Minister wrote.

Earlier, Index reported on Orban's visit to Kyiv, noting that the main purpose of his visit is to discuss the possibility of achieving peace.

According to Orban's spokesman, during his stay in Kyiv, the Hungarian prime minister will meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

In addition to the issue of peace, Orban and Zelenskyy will also discuss topical issues of Hungarian-Ukrainian bilateral relations.

• Earlier, Orban said that he would not block Ukraine's accession to the EU, but at the same time, he does not support it.