Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has proposed a ceasefire as the first step towards a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine.
Speaking at an international economic conference in Cernobbio, Italy on Friday, Orban emphasized that both sides must eventually come to the negotiating table. He highlighted the need for communication between Russia and Ukraine before any peace plan can be successful. Orban stated, “If we wait for a peace plan that is accepted by both sides, there will never be peace – because the first step is not a peace plan. The first step is a ceasefire,” and added, “You need communication first, then a ceasefire, and then you can negotiate a peace plan.”
In June, Switzerland hosted a Ukraine peace conference, excluding Russia. The event focused on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s ‘peace formula,’ which demands Russia’s withdrawal from all Ukrainian territories. Russia has dismissed this proposal as “detached from reality.”
Hungary, under Orban’s leadership, has advocated for a diplomatic resolution to the conflict, opposing military aid to Ukraine. Orban has been vocal in his opposition to military involvement, stating that he will not drag Hungary into a full-scale war with Russia.
Peace negotiations between Russia and Ukraine stalled in the spring of 2022, with both sides accusing each other of unrealistic demands. According to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian negotiators initially agreed to neutrality and military restrictions but later abandoned the talks. Putin reiterated on Thursday that Ukraine’s Western backers are intent on making Kiev “fight to the last Ukrainian” with the goal of inflicting “a strategic defeat” on Moscow. He emphasized that future negotiations should be based on documents drafted during the 2022 Istanbul talks.
Zelensky, meanwhile, has urged Western powers to continue pressuring Russia to accept Kiev’s terms. Speaking at a meeting with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday, he insisted that Moscow must be forced to agree to a “real peace” by this fall.