Orbán responds to Zelenskyy's comments on his lack of leverage over Putin

Following a recent statement by Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has no leverage over Russia, Orbán has asserted that he would not respond to provocations.

Source: Orbán on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda 

Details: Orbán was responding to Zelenskyy's criticism of his attempts at mediation given that he has no leverage over Russia.

Quote from Orbán: "We will not respond to any provocation. There is a ceasefire proposal on the table. Take it or leave it. It’s your responsibility."

Background:

• Tensions between Kyiv and Budapest have mounted since Orbán’s phone call to Vladimir Putin last week.
• Orbán said afterwards that he had proposed a Christmas truce and a large-scale prisoner swap, but that President Zelenskyy had allegedly rejected the idea.
• Zelenskyy criticised Orbánʼs call to Putin, saying, "We all hope that Viktor Orbán at least won’t call Assad in Moscow to listen to his hour-long lectures as well."
• Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said that Kyiv had declined a phone call between Orbán and Zelenskyy to discuss Hungary’s ceasefire proposal. Szijjártó was outraged that almost no one in the EU supported the Christmas truce idea.

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