Historic Orbán-Zelensky meeting: trust rebuilt, ceasefire on the horizon? – PHOTOS, VIDEOS
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Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, visiting Kyiv on Tuesday, asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire tied to a deadline.
At a press conference held jointly with the Ukrainian president, Orbán thanked his host for the invitation, noting that they had agreed to today’s talks at their meeting in Brussels last Thursday.
Orbán said it was his first foreign trip after Hungary’s taking over the European Union’s presidency on Monday, adding: “Peace is important not only for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe.”
Orbán said he appreciated Zelensky’s initiatives aimed at creating peace, but added that those initiatives would take a long time to come to fruition.
“The ways of international diplomacy are slow and complicated … I put it to the president that we should consider whether the order may be reversed by speeding up peace talks with a quick ceasefire,” Orbán said. “A ceasefire tied to a deadline, which could offer the opportunity to accelerate peace talks; I have assessed the options for that scenario,” he added.
Orbán said he had cleared those issues up with the Ukrainian president, adding he was grateful for the honest talks and answers. He said he would prepare a report for the European Council “that could be a baseline for the necessary European decisions”.
Hungary will help Ukraine, Orbán said
He wished success to Ukraine and said Hungary was “at Ukraine’s disposal” during its EU presidency, and would help wherever it could.
Orbán said he had come to Kyiv to achieve progress in bilateral ties. He called the talks constructive, adding a meeting had been long overdue in view of the many issues needing resolution, “over which we have negotiated and debated a lot in the past years”.
“We are trying to put the debates of the past behind us and concentrate on the period ahead of us,” he said.
Orbán said he wished that ties between Hungary and Ukraine were much better, adding that Hungary wanted to sign a comprehensive cooperation agreement with Ukraine, similarly to many of its other neighbours.
Hungary is also willing to take part in the modernisation of the Ukrainian economy, Orbán said, adding that the process required a regulated framework.
First Ukrainian school may open in Hungary
Regarding the situation of the ethnic Hungarian minority in Ukraine, Orbán said he saw a chance for progress. He welcomed Zelensky’s proposal to set up a Ukrainian school in Hungary. Hungary will fund the schools, “and set up as many as necessary. If there’s need for one, then one, and if there’s need for ten, then ten”, he said.
Ukrainians have always been present in Hungary, which also has a Ukrainian minority self-government, he said. At the same time, there are many more now with the influx of refugees, he added. Those families need care, work, a livelihood and security, and the children need adequate schools and good teachers, he said, adding it was important that Ukrainians in Hungary felt at home there.
This bumb war has got to stop.
Russia is never going to be defeated, not in a millennium, so prolonging this agony hurts the Ukrainian people as well as us.
Time to sit down and hash out a deal. Territories change hands all the time. Borders are not sacrosanct. Get over it. (And don’t fall for the ridiculously dumb narrative about Putin marching onto the Baltics next.)
Where are all the Orban haters – one of the few leaders in the EU- I’m surprised it made news here, but Wizz air still tops the list. This is why it’s important everyone here saw a the debate with trump and Biden. Trump is well on to be back in office and and said Ukraine mess is number 1.
The US could have put a stop to its long time ago- instead it has been funding it.
Exactly Micheal, just like Hungarians crying out for Trianon. Just like orban with his scarf of “geeater hungary” be a good loser and stop complaining of that as well. Is Hungary fault to be in the wrong team again and again.
Orban – is calling for the complete CAPITULATION of the Ukraine, for a Russian total victory.
Orban – would be the last of the 27 member countries there LEADERS of the European Union to have an opinion, take, adapt a position, through a cease fire, or DIALOGUE – around a table by Russia and the Ukraine, that would, in the case of Orban – Fidesz, have a POSITION of Neutrality.
Orban – the Fidesz Government, have LUGGAGE with Russia, are in partnerships and growing in RELATIONSHIP – that is widely known and ACCEPTED within the European Union, Great Britain & Northern Ireland, the United States of America, and all countries GLOBALLY that are Governed as a DEMOCRACY.
Orban – just goes on, building files upon files – that “Cement” his name as being completely Un-Trustworthy and Janus-faced.
Tm come on, give me a break, im not 100% sure but maybe orban is the last PM that visited kiev? Why is he doing it now? Maybe he had the moral obligation niw that he hold the eu presidency. And unfortunately they did not tell anyone what was the deal about it, but i am sure orban was Asking to please to surrender to his russian friends