Hungary's Orban proposes Ukraine-Russia ceasefire to speed up peace talks

A truce connected to a deadline could be a path to peace, Hungarian PM says during his first trip to Kyiv in more than a decade

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, right, welcomes Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban to Kyiv on Tuesday. AP

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban made his first trip to Ukraine in more than a decade on Tuesday and urged President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a ceasefire as a way to end the war with Russia.

Mr Orban, who has a close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin and is a critic of western military aid to Ukraine, held talks with Mr Zelenskyy in the capital Kyiv.

Mr Orban said he asked Mr Zelenskyy to think about a ceasefire before the follow-up international summit Kyiv hopes to hold later this year.

"A ceasefire connected to a deadline would give a chance to speed up peace talks," he said. "I explored this possibility with the President and I am grateful for his honest answers and negotiation."

Mr Zelenskyy, who spoke before Mr Orban, did not respond to those comments.

But his foreign policy adviser, Ihor Zhovkva, later said in televised remarks that it was not the first such proposal and that Mr Zelenskyy had responded to Mr Orban with his publicly known stance. "We say that Ukraine really wants peace for itself, this is logical ... for this, we have a tool – the peace summit," Mr Zhovkva said, referring to Kyiv's push to build a global coalition to support its vision of peace.

Weapons wanted by Ukraine - in pictures

Air defence: Ukraine’s air defence largely depends on the Patriot system. AFP

Air: Stinger short-range surface-to-air missile. Reuters

Air: Aim-120 air-to-air missiles. More than 14,000 of the missiles, that have a range exceeding 120km, have been produced with their accuracy so good that they have been nicknamed “Slammer”. Getty Images

Air: F-16s will provide greater surveillance and the ability to attack high-value targets behind Russian lines in occupied Ukraine. EPA

Armour: Bradley IFV. The Ukrainians have found the Bradley infantry fighting vehicle, with its 25mm cannon, very useful in protecting troops and providing decent firepower. Bloomberg

Armour: M113. The 1960s-designed versatile M113 armoured personnel carrier has proven effective in protecting troops against minefields. Getty Images

Artillery: 155mm artillery rounds. A massive delivery of 155mm rounds could prove crucial in preventing further Russian advances, particularly in its expected summer offensive. AFP

Artillery: ATACMs long-range precision missiles. The ATACMS have a range of 300km with the ability to land within a few metres of a target. Getty Images

Artillery: Ground-Launched Small Diameter Bomb (GLSDB). It can be fired from the HIMARS system. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Artillery: M777 guns and replacement barrels. The Ukrainians need many M777 howitzer barrels to replace those worn down by extensive use. Getty Images

After hosting dozens of world leaders at a summit in Switzerland last month to advance that blueprint, Kyiv has said it hopes to hold a second international summit this year to which a Russian representative could be invited.

Officials in Kyiv have often said Russia would use any let-up in fighting to regroup and strengthen itself for another, even larger attack on Ukraine.

In his statement to reporters, Mr Zelenskyy touted the possibility of a broad bilateral co-operation agreement between Ukraine and Hungary.

Ukraine-Russia conflict latest - in pictures

Ukrainian rescuers at the site of a rocket attack on a residential building in Dnipro, south-eastern Ukraine. EPA

Rescues carry a person wounded by a Russian missile strike in Dnipro. Reuters

Rescuers tackle a blaze at a building struck by Russian bombs, in Dnipro. AP

An apartment building hit by a Russian missile strike in Dnipro. Reuters

Ukrainian soldiers fire at Russian positions near the town of Kupyansk, Kharkiv Region. AFP

A building destroyed by a Russian air strike in the front-line town of Orikhiv. AP

A dog stands on the rubble as rescuers work at the site of a destroyed building during a Russian missile strike in Chernihiv. Reuters

A Ukrainian serviceman works on an FPV drone in a workshop in the Donetsk region. Reuters

Local resident Kateryna, 77-years-old, walks with a litter of puppies, which she feeds in the yard of her bomb-damaged apartment block in the town of Kurakhove. AFP

Ukrainian rescuers at the scene of a missile strike near a residential building, in Zaporizhzhia. EPA

A woman looks at the damage in her flat after debris from a missile strike hit nearby, in Kyiv. EPA

Ukrainian firefighters at the scene of a missile strike in Kyiv. EPA

Ukrainian servicemen take part in military training at an undisclosed location near the frontline. EPA

Ukrainian troops run near the site of a rocket attack on an industrial building, in Kharkiv. EPA

A pilot operates a drone at a training ground in the Kyiv region. AFP

Ukrainian and Russian soldiers are depicted in a tug-of-war on a memorial in Izium, Kharkiv region. AP

A man looks at his home in a damaged apartment building in Izium, Kharkiv. AP

Ukrainian civilian women are trained to use weapons, in Kyiv. AFP

A Ukrainian soldier mans a position as new recruits receive training at an undisclosed location in the Donetsk region. EPA

A man pays tribute at a makeshift memorial for fallen Ukrainian soldiers, at the Independence Square in Kyiv. AFP

An emergency worker at the scene of a Russian attack in Odesa. AP

Ukrainian recruits are trained by members of the Danish military, in the east of England. AP

Danylo, commander of an engineering and sapper company of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, inspects pyramidal anti-tank obstacles known as 'dragon's teeth' before installing them into a new fortification line in Zaporizhzhia region. Reuters

"The content of our dialogue today on all issues can become the basis for a bilateral document between our states, a document that will regulate all our mutual relations," he said.

Welcoming Mr Zelenskyy's comments, Mr Orban said Hungary would like to help in modernising Ukraine's economy.

Ties between the neighbours came under heavy strain after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, with Budapest often opposing European Union efforts to support Kyiv.

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Under Mr Orban, who upset western partners by holding talks with Mr Putin in October, Hungary has repeatedly accused Kyiv of curbing the rights of about 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in the far west of Ukraine.

Ukraine has denied Budapest's assertion that it is restricting the rights of Hungarian speakers in its western reaches but says it is open to addressing any concerns.

Ukraine is keen to secure Hungary's backing as it relies heavily on financial and military support from the 27-member EU, where unanimity is needed for many decisions.