Hungarian Foreign Minister: Vladimir Putin assured that the “peace summit” for the war in Ukraine will take place in Budapest
The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary, Peter Szijjarto. Photo source: Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP / Profimedia
Following talks in Moscow with Russian leaders on Friday, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that President Vladimir Putin had assured that if there was to be a “peace summit” for Ukraine, it would “without a doubt” take place in Budapest, according to Ukrainska Pravda.
According to Szijjarto, in the Kremlin talks, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban “confirmed once again that Hungary is on the side of peace, that peace is in Hungary's interest.”
“Hungary has already paid a very high price for this war, which we have nothing to do with, so we want this war to end as soon as possible,” said the Hungarian foreign minister.
“(Putin no) has assured us that if there is going to be a 'peace summit', it will undoubtedly take place in Budapest,” he added.
Hungary remains willing to provide a venue for Russian-American negotiations, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban also said on Friday.
“Our meeting today provides an opportunity to confirm that Hungary is willing to provide a platform for such negotiations,” Orbán said at the start of the meeting with the Russian leader.
“We are willing to contribute to the successful completion of this process,” he added.
Vladimir Putin replied that he would still be happy to choose Budapest as the meeting place with US President Donald Trump.
Putin and Trump agreed in October to meet in the Hungarian capital, but Trump later canceled the meeting, saying he did not want to waste time.
Szijjarto also said that Hungary achieved another goal of the talks: Putin “assured Prime Minister Viktor Orban that Russia will respect its contractual obligations regarding the supply of natural gas and oil, in the agreed volumes.”
Before the visit to Putin, Orban had announced that he intends to provide Hungary with energy for the winter and next year at an affordable price.
And at the meeting with the Kremlin leader in Moscow, Orban again expressed his hope that Budapest will become a platform for peace talks regarding the war launched by Russia against Ukraine.
