Hungarian officials have said they’re still pushing for a Christmas ceasefire and prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine despite a rejection from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Last week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he had proposed a Christmas truce, but Zelensky shot it down. Orban said on Friday that Russia had agreed to the proposal, and he thought it was still possible.
“One of the parties agreed, and the other apparently refused, but the possibility is still there,” Orban said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency. “Let’s stop the war, which has led to nothing, for at least a few days.”
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto also said Hungary was still pushing for a ceasefire and that Russian officials responded “positively” to the idea.
“We told President Vladimir Putin about that and informed several Russian government officials, who responded positively and openly, showing their willingness to consider the proposal and negotiate,” Szijjarto said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
“Unfortunately, the Ukrainian president rejected this opportunity for talks, but we hope that common sense and humanism will somehow prevail and as many people as possible will be able to celebrate Christmas in quiet, calm, and safety at home in eastern Europe,” he added.
During the first year of the war, Russia proposed a truce for Christmas, which is celebrated by Russian Orthodox Christians on January 7, but the idea was rejected by both Ukraine and the US.
