Orban in Kyiv proposes cease-fire to speed up peace talks

KYIV — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Tuesday to consider a ceasefire to accelerate the end of the conflict with Russia, during Orban's first trip to Kyiv in more than a decade.

In joint statements to reporters after the talks, Orban said he asked Zelensky to think about a cease-fire before the follow-up international meeting Kyiv hopes to hold later this year.

"A cease-fire connected to a deadline would give a chance to speed up peace talks. I explored this possibility with the president and I am grateful for his honest answers and negotiation," he said.

Zelensky said in his evening address that during talks with Orban he had talked about Kyiv's steps to bring peace in conjunction with international partners.

"I invited Hungary and Prime Minister Orban to join the relevant efforts," he added.

His foreign policy adviser, Ihor Zhovkva, in televised remarks also stressed Kyiv's push to build a global coalition to support its vision of peace.

Zelensky and Orban also touched upon initiatives designed to bring peace to Ukraine and preparations for the second peace summit.

Issues concerning the Hungarian national minority in Ukraine were another topic of the talks.

Zelensky thanked Hungary for supporting Ukrainians and providing humanitarian aid to the country.

Orban pledged that Budapest would support Ukraine during the Hungarian presidency of the European Union. He also suggested that Ukraine and Hungary sign a bilateral agreement.

Orban arrived in Kyiv earlier in the day on his first visit to Ukraine in 12 years.

Orban linked Tuesday's surprise Ukraine visit to Hungary having assumed the six-month rotating presidency of the European Council on Monday.

"The aim of the Hungarian presidency is to contribute to solving the challenges ahead of the European Union. That's why my first trip was to Kyiv," Orban wrote on Facebook.

Agencies - Xinhua