(Reuters) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday for discussing Ukraine in a phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
Orban, who has had closer ties with Putin than other European leaders throughout Russia’s 33-month-old war in Ukraine, said on X that Wednesday’s call lasted an hour and that “these are the most dangerous weeks” of the war.
“No one should boost (their) personal image at the expense of unity,” Zelenskiy said on X in comments that appeared to mock Orban’s self-styled attempts to launch a “peace mission” for Ukraine.
“We all hope that Orban at least won’t call Assad in Moscow to listen to his hour-long lectures as well,” Zelenskiy said, referring to Russia’s decision to grant overthrown Syrian President Bashar al-Assad political asylum.
Replying to Zelenskiy on X, Orban said Hungary had proposed a “Christmas ceasefire” and a prisoner exchange but that Zelenskiy had “clearly rejected and ruled this out”. Orban did not spell out exactly when or how he had proposed such a truce, or whether the same offer was made to Putin.
Ukrainian officials have consistently said that a ceasefire would play into Russia’s hands, as it could freeze current front lines with Russia holding about 20% of Ukrainian territory.
The Kremlin said Putin had told Orban during the phone call that Kyiv’s stance excluded the possibility of a peaceful settlement to the war. The phone call came at a sensitive diplomatic moment in the war in Ukraine as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has called for an immediate ceasefire and a swift end to the war.
Kyiv has repeatedly called for unity among its allies on isolating Putin and has said any discussions on the war must involve Ukraine.
When German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke to Putin in November, Zelenskiy said this had opened a Pandora’s box that undermined efforts to isolate Putin and end the war.
“There can be no discussions about the war that Russia wages against Ukraine without Ukraine,” Zelenskiy said on Wednesday.
(Reporting by Yuliia Dysa; Editing by Alex Richardson and Timothy Heritage)
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