Zelenskyy explains why Orbán cannot be intermediary between Ukraine and Russia
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has underlined that there can be no mediation between Ukraine and Russia without the combined efforts of the world's most powerful countries to force Vladimir Putin to end the war.
Zelenskyy was asked at a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk whether Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán – who went to Moscow immediately after visiting Kyiv, claiming it was a "peace mission" – could be an intermediary between the Ukrainian government and the Kremlin.
"Prime Minister Orbán was in Kyiv and then flew to Moscow. I had no idea he was flying to Moscow; it was his choice. As for whether he could be an intermediary... there is no mediation between Russia and Ukraine...
Only serious, strong partnerships can serve as intermediaries; the entire world can force Russia to end this conflict. It isn’t about mediation, but about opportunity.
You have to have either an economy that has an impact on Russia or that the Russian Federation and Putin depend on, or a formidable army that Putin is afraid of because it’s stronger than the Russian army. Are there many such countries in the world? Not many. I believe the United States is one such country… [So are] China and the European Union (not one specific EU country, but the EU as a whole). That really could be a mediatory mission. That’s why we came up with an opportunity to put pressure on Russia and stop Putin. We have to pool all our efforts together to accomplish this, because he has no respect for those who are weak.
Even if he talks with (a representative of) a certain state, that doesn’t mean he wants to end the war. He wants to pretend there are some steps [taken towards peace], but this is invariably followed by a murderous demonstration, such as this morning in Ukraine."
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, for his part, stressed that no one has the right to resolve the issue of a peaceful settlement with Russia without Ukraine or to negotiate European policy without the EU's approval.
Viktor Orbán, after his trip to Moscow, revealed how he had concealed these plans from Western allies until the last moment and promised more "unexpected meetings" in the near future.
Following this, it became known about his visit to Beijing for negotiations with China's leader regarding Ukraine.
The EU unanimously assured that Orban is not negotiating on behalf of the European Union but conducting them within the framework of bilateral relations.