Putin Rejects Peace at Meeting with Orban: Only His Terms for Ukraine!

Vladimir Putin conveyed to Viktor Orban that he would not accept any terms for peace in Ukraine other than his own. After three hours of talks in the Kremlin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban highlighted the significant gap between Ukraine's and Russia's visions for ending the war. This meeting followed Orban's visit to Kyiv, where he proposed a temporary truce to expedite peace talks, a proposal Ukraine rejected.

Orban's visit to Moscow drew disapproval from European institutions and member states, viewing it as a threat to EU unity over the war in Ukraine. European Council President Charles Michel and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen emphasized that Orban had no mandate from the EU and spoke only on his behalf. Ursula von der Leyen expressed on social media that appeasement would not stop Putin, advocating instead for unity and determination to achieve a complete, just, and lasting peace in Ukraine.

The Russian president, after the talks, reiterated that the conflict could only end on Russian terms, requiring the complete withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics, and the Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. He mentioned other conditions, suggesting these would be discussed in detailed joint work. Putin stressed that only the Russian initiative could halt hostilities and initiate negotiations, viewing it as an opportunity for a full and final end to the conflict, rather than a chance for Kyiv to regroup and rearm.

Orban defended his visit, describing Hungary's EU presidency, which began on July 1, as a "peaceful mission." He portrayed the talks with Putin as a preliminary step to restore dialogue, acknowledging that many more steps were needed to end the war. He argued that...