Russian President Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday, December 11. The conversation took place at the initiative of the Hungarian side.
Putin and Orban discussed mutually beneficial energy projects for both countries, the Ukrainian crisis, and the situation in the Middle East. Putin also drew the Hungarian Prime Minister's attention to the "destructive line of the Kyiv regime," which continues to exclude a possibility of a peaceful settlement of the conflict.
"Viktor Orban expressed interest in facilitating a joint search for ways to resolve the crisis politically and diplomatically, taking into account his contacts with a number of Western leaders," the Kremlin noted.
Commenting on the conversation with the Russian leader, Viktor Orban said that they talked for about an hour. The Hungarian politician said that now is the most dangerous time, so "all available diplomatic means are being used to promote a ceasefire and peace."
"We are living during most dangerous weeks [of the conflict]…," Viktor Orban, the Prime Minister of Hungary said.
On Tuesday, December 10, the Hungarian Prime Minister spoke with US President-elect Donald Trump. The conversation with the American politician lasted for about three hours.
"There will be at least two other events this week that will be part of the Hungarian peace mission," Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said.
After the conversation with Trump, Orban said that the American president-elect could not negotiate on Ukraine as of yet due to American legal norms. According to him, official negotiations will begin only after Trump takes office.
"We will see the beneficial effect after the inauguration," Orban added.
Orban also noted earlier that the end of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine depended on the political situation in the United States. In his opinion, peace is close, but everything may develop in an unpredictable way as well. This is due to the fact that the United States currently has two presidents — the elected (Donald Trump) and the current (Joe Biden), the Hungarian Prime Minister explained. One of them wants peace, while the other one wants to continue the conflict.
"Everything will become clearer when Donald Trump takes office. He will bring us peace," Orban believes.
It is worthy of note that Viktor Orban first discussed the Ukrainian crisis with Trump, and then initiated a call to Putin. Russian journalists wondered whether the Hungarian Prime Minister could convey a message from the American politician to the Russian leader.
"No (…) You heard that they mostly talked about energy and exchanged opinions on Ukraine and Syria affairs," Kremlin's official representative Dmitry Peskov said.