Zelenskyy rubbishes Orbán’s global ‘peace mission’

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could not mediate between Russia and Ukraine to end fighting between the two countries.

Orbán visited Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin last week with the stated aim of bringing about peace between their two countries, which have been locked in a brutal armed conflict since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

“Can [Orbán] be a mediator? There is no mediation between Russia and Ukraine," Zelenskyy said during a joint press conference with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in Warsaw. He added that even if Putin meets with the leader of another state, it doesn't mean he wants to end the war in Ukraine.