According to Kremlin spokesperson Peskov, despite Russian President Putin’s backing, Kiev rejected Victor Orban’s offer of a truce and prisoner exchange for Christmas.
According to the Kremlin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had suggested a prisoner-of-war swap between Moscow and Kiev, which Russian President Vladimir Putin had enthusiastically backed. However, Ukraine seemed to have rejected the proposal.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters Thursday that Orban made the suggestions during a phone conversation with Putin.
“Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, during yesterday’s telephone conversation with President Putin, made a proposal on the eve of Christmas to carry out a major prisoner exchange between Russia and Ukraine, as well as to announce a Christmas ceasefire,” Peskov stated on Thursday.
According to Peskov, the Hungarian embassy received a proposal on the prisoner exchange from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) that same day. Peskov claimed that Kiev had “rejected all of Orban’s proposals” based on the response from the Ukrainian populace.
“We anticipate that discussions on establishing peace will go on. Orban’s attempts to find a peaceful solution and address humanitarian concerns around the prisoner exchange have the full support of the Russian side.
“Russia has never refused peace talks and has repeatedly stated its readiness to resume them on the basis of the Istanbul Agreements of 2022,” Peskov remarked.
Stop the Fire
Earlier, Orban’s chief of staff said that Orban had called Putin on Wednesday and suggested the Christmas ceasefire and the prisoner-of-war exchange.
“One (the ceasefire proposal) was regarded as worthy of consideration … in the other issue, in the POW swap, (Putin) was supportive,” Gergely Gulyas stated.
He stated that “but now this was about the Christmas days” and that Hungary desired a truce that would continue forever.
