Zelenskyy's office comments on Orbán's 'Christmas ceasefire' proposal

Tue, December 17, 2024 - 13:45

Photo: Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President (Getty Images)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán previously stated that he had allegedly made a proposal to Russia and Ukraine regarding a "Christmas ceasefire." However, in reality, such a proposal did not exist, Mykhailo Podolyak, Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President, says in an interview.

In the conversation with the journalist, Podolyak emphasized that the idea of a "Christmas ceasefire" was an informational mini-operation aimed at manipulating public opinion.

"And what kind of proposals could there be? What does the 'Christmas ceasefire' mean if Russia will absolutely not do that? It is not even interested in not advancing 100 meters, regardless of the losses," said the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President.

Podolyak stressed that, instead, Russia was only intensifying its missile and drone attacks, including on Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

He pointed out that such statements about the so-called "ceasefire" aim to discredit Ukraine as a side that is allegedly not ready for peace.

That is why Podolyak called Orban's words his "PR-demarche."

"In this case, we see a classic informational mini-operation: 'Look, everyone is ready for peace except Ukraine. Never mind that they were attacked, that they are being killed, and so on. Let them just stop, don't resist,'" Podolyak explained.

According to the Advisor to the Head of the Office of the President, statements about a "ceasefire" are aimed at forcing Ukraine to stop resisting. At the same time, as Podolyak noted, Russia would continue to seize Ukrainian territories and carry out drone and missile attacks.