At a meeting of the All-Ukrainian Congress of Local and Regional Authorities in Lviv, Ukrainian President Zelensky directly called out Hungarian Prime Minister Orbán, who has been pursuing a Christmas ceasefire, on top of his peace campaign that has been ongoing since the start of the war.
“Who else in Europe has such experience? Nobody. Does Orbán have such an army? No. How would he put pressure on Putin? With a joke, a smile? He can keep those for himself,” Ukraine’s leader said.
“It won’t work. I won’t let him or people like him do this,” Zelensky stressed.
Despite continued losses at the front, Ukraine is set to send 160,000 more soldiers into war. https://t.co/eMmR8VBRH1
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) October 31, 2024At the meeting, Zelensky also stressed that Ukraine has shown its strength on the battlefield against Putin’s aggression. He added that Ukraine needs direct relations with the United States, without any intermediaries.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry also released a statement on Monday further condemning Orbán’s push for peace and calling on the Hungarian government to end its “manipulations” about the Christmas prisoner exchange and ceasefire.
“Hungarian officials are once again claiming they can stop the war, but these claims are untrue. In reality, deadly missiles and drones are flying towards Ukrainian cities and towns after Hungarian peacekeeping appeals to Moscow,” he said.
🇭🇺🇺🇦🇷🇺 Is a Christmas ceasefire miracle in Ukraine still possible?
Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán says it could still happen despite Zelensky's initial rejection.
"I think that there is nothing more important now than to achieve a ceasefire for a few days, which means that… pic.twitter.com/6qrPHIR3FO
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) December 14, 2024“The actions of the Hungarian side are even further from peacekeeping than the statements. Hungary has consistently called for Ukraine, which is defending itself against Russian genocidal aggression, to be left without self-defense weapons, and is obstructing the financing of strengthening Ukraine’s defense capabilities, increasing sanctions pressure on the aggressor, and other critical decisions. All of this has nothing to do with the intention of restoring peace,” the statement reads.
“We call on the Hungarian side to stop immoral manipulations on the topic of peace and Christmas, and to refrain from unilateral relations with the aggressor state, which undermines joint efforts to restore a just peace,” it added.
Amidst the threat of escalation, Hungary has called for a Christmas ceasefire and exchange of prisoners to allow for even a temporary end to the violence, with some even asking if Orbán received instructions from U.S. President-elect Trump to do so. While Putin was reportedly on board with the proposal, Zelensky slapped it down.
The road to peace in Ukraine remains fraught with challenges, but Hungary’s pragmatic approach offers a stark contrast to Zelensky’s rigid idealism. https://t.co/FGUZTs5CeJ
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) December 12, 2024Notably, a majority of Ukrainians say they are now willing to trade territory for peace, according to Gallup Research. It is the first time in the war where a majority of Ukrainians hold such a view. Below is a Remix News video produced on this topic.
A majority of Ukrainians now want an immediate end to the war, according to Gallup Research.
Hungary is now calling for Europe to respect the will of the people.
"The European pro-war mainstream does not want to see that the people have made a decision They do not want war." pic.twitter.com/Xf43tqgUbV
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) November 21, 2024
