Orbán: Zelenskyy has rejected the ceasefire proposal

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has rejected Hungary’s proposal to establish a ceasefire at Christmas and to conduct a mass exchange of prisoners between Ukraine and Russia, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said.

In the past week, Orbán has held meetings with Pope Francis at the Vatican and with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in Florida as part of his peace initiative. On Dec. 11, Orbán had a phone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the prospects for establishing long-term and sustainable peace in Europe.

“At the end of Hungary’s presidency in the EU, we took new actions for peace. We proposed a ceasefire at Christmas and a large-scale exchange of prisoners. It is very sad that Zelenskyy rejected and excluded this possibility. We did everything we could,” Orbán stated on social media.