00:59Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed that peace in Ukraine is no longer a 'hypothetical idea' following Donald Trump's victory in the US elections while speaking on the sidelines of the COP29 summit in Baku on Monday.
"Tomorrow's meeting will be a little bit strange because of course we will speak about climate change, we are here for that," Orban said. "But, you can be sure that in the corridors, everybody will speak about something else,"
"One point seems to me, quite common, that we all think that now the chance for peace is bigger than any time earlier because it's not just a hypothetical idea," he continued. "We have an experience of four years, a real presidential term of Donald Trump as president of the United States."
"On the international arena he was always in favour of peace. So we have a good hope, a well-based good hope that now, being inaugurated, hopefully in January, he will soon make good steps towards the peace," the Hungarian PM added.
With the election of Trump on Wednesday, both Ukraine and its Western backers are reportedly worried that it will mean a downgrading of support for the conflict in Russia. Trump has vowed to focus on domestic priorities and end the fighting in Ukraine before his inauguration.
Recently, Trump's vice president-elect JD Vance told reporters that talks between Ukraine and Russia were 'necessary' and previously said that a peace deal could include "the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine" becoming "a demilitarised zone" as well as Ukraine promising not to join NATO - which Zelensky condemned.
Orban has faced repeated criticism and condemnation among the EU's leadership for his relationship with Russia and China, particularly regarding his efforts for a 'peace initiative' on Ukraine, which saw him travel to Kiev, Moscow and Beijing.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Trump victory means chance for peace in Ukraine greater than ever before - Orban
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed that peace in Ukraine is no longer a 'hypothetical idea' following Donald Trump's victory in the US elections while speaking on the sidelines of the COP29 summit in Baku on Monday.
"Tomorrow's meeting will be a little bit strange because of course we will speak about climate change, we are here for that," Orban said. "But, you can be sure that in the corridors, everybody will speak about something else,"
"One point seems to me, quite common, that we all think that now the chance for peace is bigger than any time earlier because it's not just a hypothetical idea," he continued. "We have an experience of four years, a real presidential term of Donald Trump as president of the United States."
"On the international arena he was always in favour of peace. So we have a good hope, a well-based good hope that now, being inaugurated, hopefully in January, he will soon make good steps towards the peace," the Hungarian PM added.
With the election of Trump on Wednesday, both Ukraine and its Western backers are reportedly worried that it will mean a downgrading of support for the conflict in Russia. Trump has vowed to focus on domestic priorities and end the fighting in Ukraine before his inauguration.
Recently, Trump's vice president-elect JD Vance told reporters that talks between Ukraine and Russia were 'necessary' and previously said that a peace deal could include "the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine" becoming "a demilitarised zone" as well as Ukraine promising not to join NATO - which Zelensky condemned.
Orban has faced repeated criticism and condemnation among the EU's leadership for his relationship with Russia and China, particularly regarding his efforts for a 'peace initiative' on Ukraine, which saw him travel to Kiev, Moscow and Beijing.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed that peace in Ukraine is no longer a 'hypothetical idea' following Donald Trump's victory in the US elections while speaking on the sidelines of the COP29 summit in Baku on Monday.
"Tomorrow's meeting will be a little bit strange because of course we will speak about climate change, we are here for that," Orban said. "But, you can be sure that in the corridors, everybody will speak about something else,"
"One point seems to me, quite common, that we all think that now the chance for peace is bigger than any time earlier because it's not just a hypothetical idea," he continued. "We have an experience of four years, a real presidential term of Donald Trump as president of the United States."
"On the international arena he was always in favour of peace. So we have a good hope, a well-based good hope that now, being inaugurated, hopefully in January, he will soon make good steps towards the peace," the Hungarian PM added.
With the election of Trump on Wednesday, both Ukraine and its Western backers are reportedly worried that it will mean a downgrading of support for the conflict in Russia. Trump has vowed to focus on domestic priorities and end the fighting in Ukraine before his inauguration.
Recently, Trump's vice president-elect JD Vance told reporters that talks between Ukraine and Russia were 'necessary' and previously said that a peace deal could include "the current line of demarcation between Russia and Ukraine" becoming "a demilitarised zone" as well as Ukraine promising not to join NATO - which Zelensky condemned.
Orban has faced repeated criticism and condemnation among the EU's leadership for his relationship with Russia and China, particularly regarding his efforts for a 'peace initiative' on Ukraine, which saw him travel to Kiev, Moscow and Beijing.
Moscow launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February 2022 after recognising the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR), claiming that Kiev had failed to guarantee their special status under the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and urging Ukraine to declare itself officially neutral and give assurances that it would never join NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky imposed martial law throughout the country, announcing a general mobilisation, while the EU and the US imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow.