Zelensky: Orban can be a peace mediator

Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelensky, said that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban cannot mediate between Russia and Ukraine to end the war.

Orban remained in Beijing on Monday for continuing what he called the “peace commission 3.0x1>.

Last week, he was also in Kiev and Moscow.

In a letter sent to European Council President Charles Michel on July 5th, Orban said that, given his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he believes there are now <x0); there are greater expectations for a positive expectation of all possible ceasefire proposals, as well as a guide to peace talks”.

But Mike Carpenter, senior adviser to Europe at the White House National Security Council, said the Orban meeting with Putin was not useful.

“I don't think that [Orban visit to Moscow] will support Ukraine and its peace efforts, or the sovereignty or territorial integrity of Ukraine”, Carpenter said.

Michel said last week that the EU presidency, currently belonging to Hungary, “has no mandate to engage with Russia on behalf of the EU” and reiterated the EU's stance that Russia is aggressive in fighting in Ukraine.

Orban confirmed in his letter that leadership from the United States “is limited”, due to the presidential election campaign there.

Therefore, he said the EU cannot expect any proposals from the United States in the coming months, and that Brussels should consider the initiative of a European initiative.

Speaking at a press conference in Poland, Zelensky said only powerful countries, with armed forces much larger than those of Russia, could manage to organise peace talks.

Are there many such places in the world? Not much. I believe the United States and China are such places. And the EU, not as a country, but the whole EU. This could really be a brokering mission”, Zelensky said.

He added that Kiev remains open to proposals from other countries on how to shape the path towards peace, but that they must comply with Ukrainian vision.

Zelensky has insisted that Ukraine's territorial integrity should be the foundation of any peace agreement.

Putin, on the other hand, has said that conditions for ending the war require Kiev to give up the desire to join NATO, as well as to give up the Crimea and four other occupied regions of Ukraine.

Orban told Michael in his letter that he has made no proposal and “has not articulated any thought on behalf of the European Council or the European Union”.

After meeting with China's president, Xi Jinping, Orban wrote a special letter to Michael, in which he said talks “confirmed that China's peace policy, which is based on the principles of non-exploration, non-proliferation and no provocation, will remain in force for the foreseeable future”. /rel