Hungarian premier proposes Russia-Ukraine prisoner swap, Christmas cease-fire: Kremlin

By Burc Eruygur

ISTANBUL (AA) - The Kremlin announced on Thursday that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban proposed a prisoner swap and a Christmas cease-fire between Moscow and Kyiv during talks over the phone with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Putin and Orban spoke on the phone on Wednesday, exchanging views on Ukraine and other issues, according to a Kremlin statement, with the Hungarian premier expressing interest in facilitating a joint search for political solutions to the conflict.

Speaking to reporters in the capital Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia’s Federal Security Service forwarded prisoner exchange proposals to the Hungarian Embassy in Moscow on the same day Putin and Orban spoke on the phone.

Peskov reaffirmed Russia’s position that it has never refused peace talks, as well as its readiness to resume negotiations based on the agreements reached in Istanbul in 2022.

“However, judging by the reaction of (Ukrainian President Volodymyr) Zelenskyy on social networks, as well as his entourage, the Ukrainian side rejected all of Orban's proposals,” the Kremlin spokesman said.

He went on to say Russia expects peace talks to continue and that Moscow backs Orban's efforts to "find a peaceful settlement and resolve humanitarian issues related to the exchange of prisoners."

On Wednesday, Zelenskyy slammed Orban on X for having a phone conversation with Putin, saying: “We all hope that @PM_ViktorOrban at least won’t call (ousted Syrian leader) Assad in Moscow to listen to his hour-long lectures as well.”

Zelenskyy went on to call for unity among Kyiv’s allies to achieve peace and security, arguing that no one should boost their personal image at the expense of unity.

“There can be no discussions about the war that Russia wages against Ukraine without Ukraine,” he added.