Putin discussed the conflict in Ukraine with Orban by phone

Russian President Vladimir Putin has discussed the conflict in Ukraine with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban by telephone. This was reported in the press service of the Kremlin on December 11.

"On the initiative of the Hungarian side, Vladimir Putin held a telephone conversation with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. <...> A thorough exchange of views on the Ukrainian issue was held," the ministry said in its publication.

It is noted that the Hungarian Prime Minister showed interest in assisting in a joint search for a solution to the political and diplomatic crisis in Ukraine, including involving Western leaders in the issue.

According to the Kremlin, Putin in turn outlined his assessment of the current development of the situation around Ukraine and the destructive line of the Kiev regime, which excludes the possibility of a peaceful settlement of the conflict.

In addition, Orban and Putin reviewed the issue of bilateral trade and economic cooperation, including mutually beneficial projects in the energy sector.

Also, the Russian leader and the Hungarian Prime Minister discussed the situation in Syria.

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Earlier, on December 10, Orban said that the liberal world order is over and in the future those countries that maximize the use of their strength will benefit. According to him, global changes are coming, urging countries to use all their resources in order not to lose their relevance and sovereignty.

On the same day, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term expired in May, said that he was interested in a diplomatic settlement of the Ukrainian crisis and also put forward the idea of deploying European troops on Ukrainian territory until it joins the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He also said that Ukraine needs security guarantees, namely NATO membership, to end the fighting.

Before that, on December 8, the newly elected US President Donald Trump said that the head of the Kiev regime would like to "make a deal" with Russia. According to him, it is necessary to immediately cease fire and start negotiations, otherwise the Ukrainian conflict may worsen. In turn, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Trump's words about Kiev's desire to "make a deal," recalled that Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly said that Russia is open to negotiations on Ukraine and welcomes proposals from China, India, Brazil and other countries.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which Putin announced on February 24, 2022, is ongoing. The decision was taken against the backdrop of the worsening situation in the region.