Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán reached out to Ukrainian leadership with a request for a phone conversation with Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss the possibility of a Christmas ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
However, Kyiv refused to hold such a dialogue. This was announced by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó during a broadcast on Kossuth Radio. Szijjártó noted that on December 11, Orbán held talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The conversation focused on proposals for a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange between the conflicting parties.
The Hungarian prime minister then intended to make a similar proposal to Zelensky.
I informed Ukrainian officials, including Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha and Head of the Presidential Office Andriy Yermak, of the desire to hold the conversation. However, we were refused, the Hungarian Foreign Minister stated.
According to him, Ukraine’s decision is “unprecedented in diplomatic practice.”
Szijjártó emphasized that Hungary continues to insist on the need for negotiations to resolve the conflict. He added that the proposed initiative is “unlike anything seen throughout the entire duration of the conflict.”
