Ukrainian president, Hungarian premier exchange hot words over peace proposals, European unity

By Merve Berker

ANKARA (AA) – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Wednesday exchanged heated messages on the social media platform X about peace initiatives and the importance of European unity.

Zelenskyy underscored the importance of maintaining unity among allies and criticized actions he perceived as undermining European solidarity.

“It’s absolutely clear that achieving real peace and guaranteed security requires America’s determination, Europe’s unity, and the unwavering commitment of all partners to the Purposes and Principles of the UN Charter,” he stated.

The Ukrainian leader also expressed gratitude toward international allies.

"I am grateful to @realDonaldTrump and many European leaders with whom we are already working to find the right and strong solutions for real peace," he said.

However, Zelenskyy appeared to take a jab at Orban, stating: “We all hope that @PM_ViktorOrban at least won’t call Assad in Moscow to listen to his hour-long lectures as well.”

The Ukrainian president emphasized that discussions about the ongoing conflict must include Ukraine.

“There can be no discussions about the war that Russia wages against Ukraine without Ukraine,” he stated, urging partners to focus on shared goals.

“No one should boost personal image at the expense of unity; everyone should focus on shared success,” he added.

Orban's response on X emphasized Hungary's recent peace proposals and expressed disappointment with Zelenskyy's rejection of a cease-fire initiative.

"At the end of the Hungarian EU Presidency, we made new efforts for peace,” he stated, pointing out: “We proposed a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale prisoner exchange.”

"It’s sad that President @ZelenskyyUa clearly rejected and ruled this out today. We did what we could!”

The exchange occurs at a time when tensions over Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine have put a strain on intra-European relations.

Zelenskyy’s call for unwavering unity contrasts with Orban’s focus on Hungary’s independent peace proposals, highlighting broader EU divisions over how to address the conflict.

While both leaders advocate for peace, their divergent approaches underline the complexities of achieving consensus within Europe during the ongoing war.