Russian President Vladimir Putin backs Hungary’s proposal for a Christmas cease-fire and prisoner swap in Ukraine.
The Kremlin said Russian President Vladimir Putin backs Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s proposal for a Christmas cease-fire and prisoner swap in Ukraine, after Kyiv criticized Orban for not consulting with Ukrainian officials, hinting it undermines Western unity in the face of Russia’s invasion.
Orban proposed the cease-fire and prisoner exchange in a call with Putin on Dec. 11, according to statements from both the Kremlin and Hungary. Specific details were not disclosed.
Shortly after Wednesday’s call, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy took to X to criticize Orban, accusing him of boosting his “personal image at the expense of unity” and insisting that any discussions about the war without Ukraine’s participation in the talks are counterproductive.
Zelenskyy also praised President-elect Donald Trump and European leaders for their initiative “to find the right and strong solutions for real peace,” efforts that the Ukrainian president said are being conducted with Kyiv’s involvement.
A day later, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Orban’s initiative has Putin’s backing, adding that Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) had put forward specific prisoner exchange proposals to Hungary’s embassy in Moscow to move the proposal forward.
“The Russian side fully supports Orban’s efforts aimed at finding a peaceful settlement and resolving humanitarian issues related to the prisoner exchange,” Peskov said on Dec. 12.
Orban criticized Zelenskyy’s response to his call to Putin in a post on X, saying the Ukrainian president had “clearly rejected and ruled out” his Christmas cease-fire and prisoner swap proposal. Ukraine pushed back on Orban’s comment, with presidential aide Dmytro Lytvyn telling the Kyiv Post that no specific proposal had been brought to Zelenskyy for him to accept or reject.
The proposal of a Christmas cease-fire and prisoner swap in Ukraine stalled amid broader calls for peace negotiations.
Trump has said he would broker a peace deal between the two countries in short order after taking office. He has offered few specifics as to how he would accomplish that, other than saying he would leverage his personal relationships with both Putin and Zelenskyy to bring the two men to the table to eke out a solution.
By Tom Ozimek
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