Spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine Oleh Nikolenko has said, in response to a statement by Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orban about the necessity to establish a ceasefire and start peace talks with Russia before the launch of Ukraine’s counteroffensive, that peace talks are possible only after the full withdrawal of the Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine.
“Ukraine has clearly stated its position: peace talks can be possible only after the full withdrawal of the Russian troops from the territory of Ukraine. A ceasefire without fulfillment of this condition will freeze the status quo and allow Russia to regroup, accumulate forces and start a new wave of aggression. This has been proved by the experience of 2014-2022. Moreover, Russia’s daily missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities prove that Moscow does not consider any other scenarios but the continuation of the war,” he said on Facebook on Friday.
The Foreign Ministry stressed that “however, we took into account Viktor Orban’s statement that it is difficult for him to be the only prime minister in the EU who advocates peace.”
“To alleviate this situation, we call on the head of the Hungarian government to take action. For example, condemn Russian aggression, demand that Moscow stops the war and return the Russian army to Russian territory, join the measures of international isolation of Russia, and not undermine the unity in the EU,” the ministry said.
As reported, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on June 2 called for a ceasefire and peace talks between Ukraine and Russia before the start of the Ukrainian counteroffensive. He said this in an interview with state radio, according to the Hungarian news portal Telex.
Orban said that the Ukrainians are preparing a counteroffensive, which “is Ukrainians’ business.” However, according to him, as “a man with a year and a half of military experience,” he “knows very well” that the attacking side suffers three times as many losses as the one who defends. In addition, Orban complained that it was difficult for him to be the only prime minister in the EU who advocates peace, but, he said, “if you are Hungarian, you must stand up for what is right.”