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President Volodymyr Zelenskyy once again criticized Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for his attempts at “mediation,” stressing that Orbán has no influence over the aggressor state.
Zelenskyy made the remarks at the All-Ukrainian Congress of Local and Regional Authorities on Tuesday, December 17.
The Ukrainian leader emphasized that Ukraine is a strong country and has proven this on the battlefield throughout Putin’s aggression.
“Does anyone else in Europe have such experience right now? No one. Does Orbán have such an army? No. How will he pressure Putin? With a joke, a smile? Let him keep that to himself,” Zelenskyy added.
Zelenskyy further emphasized that Ukraine needs direct relations with the United States without intermediaries.
“Prime Minister Orbán, who wants to somehow, somewhere… – it won’t work. I won’t let him or anyone like him do this,” the president said, clarifying that his comments were about Hungary’s prime minister, not the Hungarian people, who support Ukraine.
Tensions between Kyiv and Budapest escalated after Viktor Orbán called Vladimir Putin last week.
Following the call, Orbán claimed he had proposed a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale exchange of prisoners of war, but President Zelenskyy allegedly rejected the idea.
In response, Zelenskyy expressed hope that Orbán “won’t start calling Assad in Moscow to listen to his hour-long lectures as well.”
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó later claimed that Kyiv refused a phone call between Orbán and Zelenskyy regarding the Hungarian “ceasefire” proposal. Szijjártó also expressed frustration that nearly no one in the EU supported the idea of a Christmas truce.
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