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WELTWOCHE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ORBÁN CREATED CHANCE FOR PEACE TALKS

 

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has created a chance of peace talks between Russia and Ukraine at a time when Brussels „is only capable of war communication with Moscow”, Roger Köppel, the editor-in-chief of Swiss weekly Weltwoche, told Hungarian public television on Sunday. Köppel said in an interview with news channel M1 that it was „extremely important” that Orbán was keeping diplomatic channels open. Thanks to his „heroic mission”, the relations between Ukraine and Hungary were showing positive signs, he said: President Zelensky called for continuing the talks after Orbán had left Kyiv following his visit early this week. While „the mood was chilly” in Kyiv before, the talks were open and constructive, Köppel said. Orbán had achieved that the warring parties’ „stances have opened” somewhat, Köppel said. Although both sides think a ceasefire would benefit the other, they are now ready to talk about peace, he said. „It is absurd that Brussels is outraged by that … while they are obviously looking on with envy, too,” he said. He also credited Orbán with achieving that Zelensky „would now be ready to sit down with Russia”.