Hungary offers to host peace talks between Ukraine and Russia
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó (Getty Images)
Hungary is ready to serve as a venue for possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. Budapest will also continue to support the peace initiatives of US President Donald Trump, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said during a visit to St. Petersburg, according to TASS.
According to him, Hungary has long advocated for a swift ceasefire and the start of dialogue between Ukraine and Russia.
"We are ready for this. I personally called Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the head of the Ukrainian President's Office. I told them that Hungary is willing to host any negotiations. The offer stands — we have not withdrawn it," Szijjártó said.
He added that Hungary will continue to support Trump's peace initiatives.
In the Hungarian foreign minister's view, stability in the region can only be achieved through an "agreement between Russia and the United States."
Additionally, during his visit to Russia, Szijjártó stated that Budapest opposes the accelerated accession of Ukraine to the European Union, calling it a risky step for the EU itself.
Ukraine-Russia talks
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova stated that the Russian delegation is allegedly ready for a third round of negotiations with Ukraine in Istanbul after June 22.
According to her, the exact date of the meeting "will be determined soon."
Zakharova noted that during the talks, Moscow intends to discuss both the Ukrainian and Russian memorandums regarding a ceasefire and the end of the war. It is important to note, however, that the Russian memorandum is essentially an ultimatum with demands that are unacceptable for Ukraine.
Meanwhile, officials in Kyiv have stated that the first two rounds of negotiations between Ukraine and Russia yielded no results. It remains unclear what could be meaningfully discussed during a third meeting.
According to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, even the Russian side admitted during the Istanbul meeting that they had issued an ultimatum to Ukraine.
