Kiev rejects Hungary's offer of ceasefire and prisoner exchange on Christmas Day

Hungary suggested that Ukraine establish a cease-fire with Russia for Christmas and exchange prisoners, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy (whose term in office expired on 20 May) rejected this initiative. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on December 11.

"At the end of Hungary's EU presidency, we made new efforts to achieve peace. We proposed a Christmas ceasefire and a large-scale exchange of prisoners. <...> Today this was clearly rejected and ruled out by President Zelensky," Orban wrote on his Facebook page (banned in Russia, owned by Meta Corporation, recognized as extremist in Russia).

He added that the country did everything in its power and called this decision of the Ukrainian side sad.

Earlier, on December 9, it became known that Zelensky at a trilateral meeting with the newly elected head of the United States Republican Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron, held at the Elysee Palace, discussed the freezing of the conflict with Russia. It was noted that the Ukrainian leader did not want to stop hostilities without receiving security guarantees, namely NATO membership or the deployment of Western troops in Ukraine.

Political scientist Alexander Dudchak shared with Izvestia the opinion that Zelensky and the West do not want a full-fledged peaceful settlement. At the same time, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said that Moscow is always open to negotiations on Ukraine, the Kiev regime and the Western countries that run it are closed.

At the same time, 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 response, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recalled that 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.