Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban held a phone conversation in which they discussed the war in Ukraine. According to a Kremlin statement, the initiative for the conversation came from Hungary, reports the BBC, reports News.bg.
"A thorough exchange of views on Ukrainian issues was held," the Kremlin said, emphasizing that Putin accused Kiev of a "destructive position" that precludes the possibility of reaching a peace agreement.
The Kremlin statement noted that Viktor Orban had expressed interest in "jointly seeking ways to resolve the crisis through political and diplomatic means". Orbán has stressed that he will use his contacts with Western leaders to facilitate the process.
Orbán himself shared details of the conversation on the social network X (formerly Twitter):
"This morning I had an hour-long phone conversation with President Putin. These are the most dangerous weeks of the Russian-Ukrainian war. We are taking all possible diplomatic steps to advocate for a ceasefire and peace talks."
I had an hour-long phone conversation this morning with President Putin. These are the most dangerous weeks of the #RussiaUkraineWar. We are taking every possible diplomatic step to argue in favor of a ceasefire and #peace talks.
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) December 11, 2024