On Friday, July 5, the Kremlin hosted a meeting lasting more than three hours between the President of Russia and the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, who arrived in our country on a working visit.
Photo: REUTERS.
On Friday, July 5, the Kremlin hosted a meeting lasting more than three hours between the President of Russia and the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, who arrived in our country on a working visit.
Vladimir Putin described these negotiations as “very intense.”
“It is important that even in the current difficult geopolitical situation we continue the dialogue,” the President noted. – As in many previous meetings, we had a really useful and frank conversation both on the current aspects of bilateral interaction and, of course, on urgent issues of the international and regional agenda, including the situation around Ukraine.
WHAT ELSE DID THE PRESIDENT SAY?
ON RELATIONS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND HUNGARY
– Russia and Hungary continue to cooperate in a number of areas, primarily in the energy sector. The key principles are healthy pragmatism and mutual benefit.
– Work continues on the flagship joint project to expand the Paks nuclear power plant. The commissioning of the fifth and sixth units will more than double the capacity of the station. This will improve the energy supply of the Hungarian economy, providing industrial companies and households with clean and cheap energy. Only the most advanced technological and engineering solutions are used in the construction of new units and physical safety and environmental requirements are fully guaranteed.
– We continue to support interaction in the medical and pharmaceutical industries. We are in favour of continuing to work in priority areas of cooperation.
ON THE UKRAINIAN CONFLICT
– Of course, there was a fairly thorough, direct and honest exchange of views on current international issues, including the Ukrainian conflict. They also discussed possible ways to resolve it.
– The Prime Minister spoke about his recent meetings in kyiv, where he made a number of proposals and, in particular, called for a ceasefire to create conditions for the start of negotiations with Russia.
– As for Russia, I have repeatedly said that we have always been and will always be open to discussing a political and diplomatic solution. However, on the other hand, we hear about reluctance to resolve the problem in exactly this way. And Ukraine’s sponsors continue to try to use this country and its people as a battering ram, a victim of confrontation with Russia.
– As we see the situation, even taking into account what we heard today from Mr. Prime Minister, kyiv is still not ready to abandon the idea of waging a “war with a victorious end.”
– In my opinion, the Kiev regime does not allow the very idea of a cessation of hostilities also because in this case the pretext for extending martial law disappears. And if martial law is to be lifted, it means that elections will have to be held, which were never held on time. But the chances of achieving them for the Ukrainian rulers who have lost their prestige and legitimacy are close to zero.
ABOUT RUSSIAN PEACE INITIATIVE
– And our peace initiative was recently outlined at my meeting with the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation. We believe that its implementation would allow stopping hostilities and starting negotiations. Moreover, this should not be just a truce or a temporary suspension of fire, or some kind of pause that the Kiev regime could use to recover losses, regroup and rearm. Russia advocates a complete and final end to the conflict. The conditions for this, as I have already said, were set out in my speech at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
– We are talking about the complete withdrawal of all Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, from the Zaporozhye and Kherson regions.
– There are other conditions. But this is a matter that will have to be considered in great detail in the context of possible joint work.
…AND ON THE CONTACTS OF THE RF WITH THE EU
– Given that Hungary has been presiding over the Council of the European Union since July 1, Orban and I exchanged views on the state of relations between Russia and the European Union, which are currently at their lowest point.
– We also discussed the possible principles of a future, also possible, security architecture in Europe.
* * *
– Overall, the negotiations were very timely and, I think, useful for both sides. Of course, the Prime Minister presented the generally known Western point of view, including from the point of view of Ukraine’s interests. However, we are grateful to Mr. Prime Minister for his visit to Moscow. We perceive it as an attempt to restore dialogue and give it an additional impetus.
Thank you.
FROM THE PRESS RELEASE OF THE PRIME MINISTER OF HUNGARY
– Today I met with the President of Russia for the eleventh time. The peculiarity of this meeting is that it is taking place during a war, at a time when Europe really needs peace. For Europe, peace is the most important thing. We believe that the main task for the next six months of our European presidency will be the struggle for peace.
– I told you, Mr President, that Europe’s greatest development came precisely during the decades of peace. In Europe, we have been living in the shadow of war for two and a half years. This is causing enormous difficulties in Europe. We cannot feel safe; we see images of destruction and suffering.
– This war has already begun to have an impact on economic growth and our competitiveness.
– In general, as I told you, Mr. President, Europe needs peace. Over the past two and a half years we have realized that without diplomacy, without channels of communication, we will not achieve peace. Peace will not come by itself, we must work to achieve it.
– Today I discussed exactly the ways to achieve peace with Mr. President. I wanted to know what is the shortest way to end the war.
– I wanted to listen and hear Mr. President’s opinion on three important questions: what he thinks about the peace initiatives currently available, what he also thinks about the ceasefire and peace negotiations, in what sequence they can be carried out, and the third thing that interested me was that this is a vision of Europe after the war.
– I thank Mr. President for the open and honest conversation.
– For the past two and a half years, there have been virtually no countries that could have contact with either side of the conflict. Hungary is one of the few such countries. That is why I was in kyiv this week and why I am now in Moscow.
– I understand from experience that the posts are very far apart. There are many steps that need to be taken to get closer to the end of the war. However, we took the most important step: we established contact. And I will continue to work in this direction.
Thank you.
* * *
State leaders made statements to the press (and, of course, to the entire world);
But still…
Question (to Orban):
– How did Mr. Zelensky react to your ceasefire proposal? What was his response?
– Orbán:
I told this to the President of the Russian Federation.
Ask:
– Vladimir Vladimirovich, could you tell me?
Putin:
– No.
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