by Jake Sanders, Editor
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has stated that Moscow and Kiev need to agree to a ceasefire before creating a comprehensive peace plan. During an international economic conference in Cernobbio, Italy, he emphasized the necessity for both parties to eventually engage in negotiations.
Orban mentioned that effective mediation requires communication with both Russia and Ukraine. He remarked, “If we wait for a peace plan acceptable to both sides, peace will never be achieved—because the initial step is not a peace plan; it is a ceasefire.” He reiterated that communication should come first, followed by a ceasefire, before negotiations for a peace plan can begin.
In June, Switzerland held a peace conference focused on Ukraine, which Russia was not invited to. The conference primarily revolved around Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s proposed ‘peace formula,’ demanding Russia’s withdrawal from all territories claimed by Ukraine, a proposal that Moscow has already rejected as unrealistic.
The peace talks between Russia and Ukraine fell apart in spring 2022, with both sides blaming each other for unrealistic demands. Putin claimed that Kyiv’s negotiators had initially consented to make Ukraine a neutral state and limit its military size but then abruptly walked away from the discussions.
On Thursday, Putin reiterated that Ukraine’s Western allies were determined to have Kyiv “fight to the last Ukrainian,” aiming to achieve a “strategic defeat” for Russia. He emphasized that any future negotiations should reference the documents created during the Istanbul talks in 2022.
Meanwhile, Zelensky has called on the West to maintain pressure on Russia to accept Ukraine’s conditions. At a meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on Friday, he stressed the need for Moscow to agree to a “real peace” as soon as this fall.