Viktor Orbán meeting Volodymyr Zelensky in Kiev
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has taken the helm of the EU Commission for six months, vowing to “Make Europe Great Again.” On his first visit as EU Chair, to Kiev, he tried to convince Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire.
“If [Trump] wins, then at least there will be a ceasefire; whether this will lead to a lasting peace is the music of the future, but it will not be like it is now, that’s for sure. And that is why Europe needs to quickly prepare for the situation that – sooner or later – the Americans and Russians will begin negotiations with each other,” Orban told M1 broadcaster on Monday.
The road to #Kyiv. A trip for #peace. pic.twitter.com/nWFf0g86EJ
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) July 3, 2024
As Russia continues to advance against outmanned Ukrainians, the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the Ukrainian army lost up to 1,800 men and nine airplanes yesterday.
In April, Russian Defense Ministry Sergei Shoigu claimed that Ukraine lost almost half a million soldiers since the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2022.
It is illegal to report casualty figures in Ukraine, so the Russian numbers can not be independently verified. In February, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed 31,000 Ukrainian soldiers had been killed since the February 2022 invasion.
On Monday, The Kyiv Independent reported Ukraine’s General Staff claimed Russia has lost more than 540,000 troops in Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion — a number that includes killed and injured.
My first trip after assuming the Presidency of the Council of the EU led me to Kyiv for a meeting with President @ZelenskyyUa. I assessed the possibility of a deadline-bound ceasefire, that could provide an opportunity to speed up peace negotiations. I will report my findings to… pic.twitter.com/TqPeDAvsoe
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) July 2, 2024
At a joint press conference with the Ukrainian president, Orbán asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a ceasefire.
“Peace is important not only for Ukraine but for the whole of Europe”, Orbán said. “I put it to the president (Zelensky) that we should consider whether the order may be reversed by speeding up peace talks with a quick ceasefire,” he said. “A ceasefire tied to a deadline, which could offer the opportunity to accelerate peace talks; I have assessed the options for that scenario,” he added.
Zelensky expressed his gratitude to Hungary for its humanitarian support for Ukraine, underlining that he believed that saving lives was the most important consideration. “Everything we discussed today serves as a basis for a future bilateral document between our states which will regulate all segments of our relations and will be mutually beneficial for both countries,” Zelensky said after talks with Orbán. “It is important for there to be peace so that we can put the strengthening of Europe on new foundations,” he said.
Zelensky had announced he would be drafting a new peace plan Friday that should be “supported by the majority of the world.”
“After the adoption of the bill facilitating mobilization, the number of mobilized people increased, but the Kiev regime failed to achieve the numbers set by the Americans, failed by far. That is why they are having problems with their US masters who are openly saying: ‘You planned to mobilize this number of people, but mobilized that. We have provided you with funds for weapons and that number of troops, and you fail to hold your end of the bargain,’” former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov said on Wednesday. There is active agitation in Ukraine for a ceasefire, Azarov added.
The post Visiting Kiev, Orban Presses Zelensky to End the Meat Grinder: “If Trump Wins, There Will be a Ceasefire” While Moscow Claims Ukraine Suffered 1800 Casualties in ONE DAY appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.