01:44Mandatory Credit: Ukrainian presidency
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban told Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky that "we are very much in favour of peace" as he visited Kiev at the start of his country's presidency of the Council of the EU on Tuesday.
"The last official visit to Ukraine was a lot of years ago and so we are happy that you are here," Zelensky told him, thanking him for his presence at the recent Ukraine 'peace summit' in Switzerland.
Orban replied that the Ukrainian conflict was "the most important issue for you during the forthcoming six months under the Hungarian Presidency". He added that he wanted to discuss the Hungarian community living in Ukraine, with rights for national minorities previously sparking tensions between the countries.
"We are very much committed to help you by a humanitarian way. We are very much in favour of peace. I would like to understand, this is my mission, to understand how we would see the chance of peace for a realistic and great world," he added.
The Hungarian leader has been a vocal advocate for peace in Ukraine and a critic of EU arms deliveries to Kiev amid the conflict with Russia.
At last week's EU summit, Zelensky said that there wasn't 'much time' to agree a deal with 'a lot of wounded and dead on the battlefield'. According to media reports, he also told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday that future peace talks with Moscow could be possible through intermediaries.
Last month, the first 'peace summit' - held without Russian participation - took place in Burgenstock, Switzerland. Around 100 countries participated in the summit, while just 80 agreed to the final statement.
Key Global South nations including India, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all took part but were among those not endorsing the final statement. Brazil, attending as an 'observer', also did not sign the statement either. China did not send an envoy, while Moscow rejected the legitimacy of any 'peace conference' held without its participation.
Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Moscow would be ready for peace talks following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions - the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, (DPR and LPR) Kherson and Zaporozhye - and if Kiev scrapped plans to join NATO. The areas joined Russia in 2022, following a number of referenda - which Kiev dismissed as 'annexation'.
'We are very much in favour of peace' - Orban to Zelensky in Kiev as Hungary begins Council of EU presidency
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban told Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky that "we are very much in favour of peace" as he visited Kiev at the start of his country's presidency of the Council of the EU on Tuesday.
"The last official visit to Ukraine was a lot of years ago and so we are happy that you are here," Zelensky told him, thanking him for his presence at the recent Ukraine 'peace summit' in Switzerland.
Orban replied that the Ukrainian conflict was "the most important issue for you during the forthcoming six months under the Hungarian Presidency". He added that he wanted to discuss the Hungarian community living in Ukraine, with rights for national minorities previously sparking tensions between the countries.
"We are very much committed to help you by a humanitarian way. We are very much in favour of peace. I would like to understand, this is my mission, to understand how we would see the chance of peace for a realistic and great world," he added.
The Hungarian leader has been a vocal advocate for peace in Ukraine and a critic of EU arms deliveries to Kiev amid the conflict with Russia.
At last week's EU summit, Zelensky said that there wasn't 'much time' to agree a deal with 'a lot of wounded and dead on the battlefield'. According to media reports, he also told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday that future peace talks with Moscow could be possible through intermediaries.
Last month, the first 'peace summit' - held without Russian participation - took place in Burgenstock, Switzerland. Around 100 countries participated in the summit, while just 80 agreed to the final statement.
Key Global South nations including India, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all took part but were among those not endorsing the final statement. Brazil, attending as an 'observer', also did not sign the statement either. China did not send an envoy, while Moscow rejected the legitimacy of any 'peace conference' held without its participation.
Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Moscow would be ready for peace talks following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions - the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, (DPR and LPR) Kherson and Zaporozhye - and if Kiev scrapped plans to join NATO. The areas joined Russia in 2022, following a number of referenda - which Kiev dismissed as 'annexation'.
Mandatory Credit: Ukrainian presidency
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban told Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky that "we are very much in favour of peace" as he visited Kiev at the start of his country's presidency of the Council of the EU on Tuesday.
"The last official visit to Ukraine was a lot of years ago and so we are happy that you are here," Zelensky told him, thanking him for his presence at the recent Ukraine 'peace summit' in Switzerland.
Orban replied that the Ukrainian conflict was "the most important issue for you during the forthcoming six months under the Hungarian Presidency". He added that he wanted to discuss the Hungarian community living in Ukraine, with rights for national minorities previously sparking tensions between the countries.
"We are very much committed to help you by a humanitarian way. We are very much in favour of peace. I would like to understand, this is my mission, to understand how we would see the chance of peace for a realistic and great world," he added.
The Hungarian leader has been a vocal advocate for peace in Ukraine and a critic of EU arms deliveries to Kiev amid the conflict with Russia.
At last week's EU summit, Zelensky said that there wasn't 'much time' to agree a deal with 'a lot of wounded and dead on the battlefield'. According to media reports, he also told the Philadelphia Inquirer on Sunday that future peace talks with Moscow could be possible through intermediaries.
Last month, the first 'peace summit' - held without Russian participation - took place in Burgenstock, Switzerland. Around 100 countries participated in the summit, while just 80 agreed to the final statement.
Key Global South nations including India, South Africa, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, as well as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia all took part but were among those not endorsing the final statement. Brazil, attending as an 'observer', also did not sign the statement either. China did not send an envoy, while Moscow rejected the legitimacy of any 'peace conference' held without its participation.
Meanwhile, Russian leader Vladimir Putin said Moscow would be ready for peace talks following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four regions - the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics, (DPR and LPR) Kherson and Zaporozhye - and if Kiev scrapped plans to join NATO. The areas joined Russia in 2022, following a number of referenda - which Kiev dismissed as 'annexation'.