Hungary pushes hard for PM Orban's peace initiative after series of visits that upset EU

On July 17, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that the country is making efforts to organize the second conference on peace for Ukraine this year at the initiative of the Central European country's Prime Minister Viktor Orban

RIA news agency quoted Mr. Szijjarto as emphasizing: "Efforts are being made to organize the next round of the conference on peace for Ukraine this year, we will certainly welcome and appreciate this conference..."

Hungary's foreign minister expressed confidence that if we hope for the success of any future peace conference, we need to ensure that "both sides are included".

The first summit on peace for Ukraine took place in the Swiss resort of Burgenstock with the participation of representatives from more than 90 countries, but one party involved, Russia, did not attend.

Meanwhile, Hungary's MTI news agency reported on July 16 that Mr. Levente Magyar, Assistant Foreign Minister of Hungary, visited the US and discussed with his host counterpart James O'Brien about Prime Minister Orban's peace initiative.

In addition, a source from the European Union (EU) said that Mr. Orban could start discussing this initiative at the European Political Community Summit, taking place in the UK on July 17-18, as well as publicly propose discussing other initiatives besides the "peace formula" of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

Balázs Orbán, a political adviser to Prime Minister Orbán, said Budapest would use its entire presidency of the EU Council “to facilitate peace talks” and consider “political initiatives”.

The moves come as Mr Orban has made a series of visits to Ukraine, Russia and China to meet with the leaders of the three countries, in what he described as a "mission of peace". Mr Orban also went to the US and met with presidential candidate Donald Trump.

The trips came shortly after Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the EU Council for six months from July 1, prompting protests from member states, who said Mr Orban had no authority to negotiate conflicts on behalf of the union.

After the visits, Mr. Orban presented the above peace initiative to EU leaders. This initiative proposed restoring diplomatic relations with Russia and holding talks with China on a peace conference to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.

However, Mr. Orban's proposal was opposed by the head of the European Council, Charles Michel, on the grounds that "it is impossible to hold peace negotiations in Ukraine without this country."

Reuters news agency quoted the content of a letter that Mr. Michel sent to Mr. Orban saying that the EU's policy of increasing arms supplies to Kiev "is not a policy of war, but completely the opposite." In addition, the President of the European Council also affirmed that the EU is seeking to "withdraw Russian troops from Ukraine."

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/hungary-rot-rao-thuc-day-sang-kien-hoa-binh-cua-thu-tuong-orban-sau-loat-chuyen-tham-khien-eu-nong-mat-279028.html