Yuliia Dysa, December 11, 2024
Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russia's President Vladimir Putin arrive for a press conference following their meeting in Moscow, Russia July 5, 2024. REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo
Dec 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine blasted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for undermining Western unity by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, criticism that Budapest said showed Kyiv was not interested in a "Christmas ceasefire" in the war.
Orban, who has had closer ties with Putin than any other European leader during Russia's 33-month-old war in Ukraine, said they spoke for an hour and that he believed the fighting was now in its "most dangerous weeks" to date.
With Donald Trump set to return to the White House next month vowing to rapidly end the fighting, the war is at an uncertain juncture, making Kyiv even more sensitive to moves it sees as reducing Putin's pariah status in the West.
"No one should boost (their) personal image at the expense of unity," Zelenskiy wrote on X after the Orban-Putin call, appearing to mock the Hungarian's self-styled attempts to launch a peace mission to end the war.
"We all hope that Orban at least won't call Assad in Moscow to listen to his hour-long lectures as well," Zelenskiy said, referring to Russia's decision to grant overthrown Syrian President Bashar al-Assad political asylum.
Responding in kind with a statement on X, Orban hit back, saying that Budapest had "proposed a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange. It's sad that President Zelenskiy clearly rejected and ruled this out today."
The Hungarian leader did not spell out exactly when or how he had proposed such a truce, or whether the same offer was made to Putin over the phone. There was no mention of a ceasefire in the Kremlin's readout of the call.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn said there had been no advance warning or communication from Hungary, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, before Orban calling Putin.
"We need just peace, not PR," he said in a written statement adding that Hungary did not discuss any ceasefire with Ukraine.
Orban himself has repeatedly made calls for a ceasefire.
Kyiv officials have consistently said that would play into Russia's hands, as it could freeze the current front lines with Russia holding nearly 20% of Ukrainian territory.
Kyiv has insisted that it also needs security guarantees, namely membership in the NATO military alliance that would prevent Russia using a ceasefire to prepare for another invasion. Moscow sees Ukraine joining NATO as unacceptable.
The Kremlin said Putin told Orban during their phone call that Ukraine's stance excluded the possibility of a peaceful settlement to the war.
Putin has said Ukraine must not join NATO and that Russia should be left in full control of four Ukrainian regions his troops partially control currently for a peace deal to be done.
Orban is not the first leader to be criticised by Kyiv for calling Russia's leader.
Zelenskiy criticised German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for speaking to Putin in November, saying their conversation had opened a Pandora's box that undermined efforts to end the war and would only lead to more similar calls.
"There can be no discussions about the war, that Russia wages against Ukraine, without Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on Wednesday.
© 2024 Reuters.