Zelenskyy criticizes Orban: war talks without Ukraine are absurd!

Zelenskyy criticizes Orban: war talks without Ukraine are absurd!

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj has sharply criticized Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orbán! The reason? Orbán dared to telephone Russian President Vladimir Putin about the war in Ukraine. A conversation that, in the eyes of Ukraine, is not only inappropriate but also dangerous!

Orbán, who has maintained closer ties with Putin than many other European countries throughout the conflict, told X that Wednesday's phone call lasted an hour. “These are the most dangerous weeks” of the war, said Orbán. But Zelenskyj countered sharply: “No one should strengthen their personal image at the expense of unity.” A clear swipe at Orbán, who is seen as an unreliable partner in Ukraine.

A dangerous game

The Ukrainian government has repeatedly demanded that any discussions about the war must include Ukraine. “There can be no discussions about the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine without Ukraine,” Zelensky emphasized. He also warned that a ceasefire in this 33-month conflict would only benefit Moscow, as Russia would then be able to hold about 20 percent of Ukrainian territory.

The Kremlin authorities reported that Putin told Orbán during the conversation that Kiev's stance excluded the possibility of a peaceful solution to the conflict. Orbán, on the other hand, tried to justify his position by stating on But details of this proposal remained obscure.

A game with fire

Zelensky's reaction to Orbán's comments was unmistakable. “We hope that Orbán doesn’t also call Assad in Moscow to listen to his hours-long lectures,” he said, alluding to the granting of political asylum to deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Further evidence that Ukraine does not want to feel isolated in this critical phase of the war.

The tensions between Kyiv and Budapest are not new. Orbán has refused to provide military aid to Ukraine since Russia's aggression began in February 2022 and has instead repeatedly called for peace talks. But Ukraine sees Orbán's diplomacy as a dangerous balancing act that could endanger the unity of the Western allies.

"It's sad that President Zelensky clearly rejected this today. We did what we could!" said Orbán in another tweet. But the Ukrainian side immediately countered, pointing out that Hungary had never seriously discussed a ceasefire with them. “As always, the Hungarian side has not discussed anything with Ukraine,” clarified presidential adviser Dmytro Lytvyn.

The situation remains tense and Ukraine is calling more than ever for a united front against Russia. The question remains: Will Orbán rethink his strategy or continue to walk the fine line between East and West?