Orban discusses conflict in Ukraine with Pope

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban discussed conflict resolution in Ukraine with Pope Francis during their Dec. 4 meeting.

"A morning service at St. Peter's Cathedral, then a meeting with the Holy Father. We must seize the chance for peace!" - he wrote on Facebook (owned by the recognized extremist company Meta, its activities are banned in Russia).

In the press service of the Holy See confirmed that Francis and Orban touched on the Ukrainian conflict. According to the website, they paid special attention to the conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing efforts to promote peace and the humanitarian component.

Earlier, on December 2, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto held talks in Moscow with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov. At the meeting, he stated the need to intensify efforts to resolve the situation in Ukraine.

Before that, on October 11, Pope Francis received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (his term of office expired on May 20) in the Vatican. It was reported that he insisted on the organization of peace talks with Russia and offered Zelensky help. In addition, Francis urged Kiev to start the negotiation process in the spring, and in 2023 Hungary and the Vatican jointly expressed their readiness to become mediators.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on February 24, 2022, is ongoing. The decision was made against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region. The last round of talks between Russia and Ukraine took place in Istanbul on March 29, 2022. Later, Kiev officially refused contacts with Moscow.