Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has rejected a proposal for a Christmas ceasefire.
Szijjártó said that Hungary had proposed organizing a telephone conversation between Zelensky and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to discuss the idea of a ceasefire, but Zelensky did not accept the proposal.
Hungary has maintained close relations with Moscow despite Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The country has criticized EU sanctions against Russia and blocked efforts to provide military aid to Kyiv.
Szijjártó said that Hungary had made “serious steps” in recent months to improve the situation for people living in areas affected by the war. He explained that the Hungarian government proposed a Christmas ceasefire and a large exchange of prisoners so that more people could celebrate at home and in peace.
The foreign minister stated that Russian President Vladimir Putin showed an openness to considering the proposal, but Zelensky rejected it. Szijjártó said that this rejection is “unprecedented in diplomacy” and described it as “forcefully but politely refusing the opportunity to negotiate.”
This comes after Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán said on his social media account that Budapest had proposed a ceasefire.