Peskov pointed to Zelensky's rejection of Orban's peace initiatives on Ukraine

US President-elect Donald Trump's team, which supported Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's peace initiative, is not yet in the White House, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whose term of office expired on May 20, has rejected Hungary's plan. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on December 16.

"Trump's team is not running the White House now, that's the first thing. <...> And second, you know that [Russian President Vladimir] Putin spoke with Orban. Putin supported the peace efforts of the Hungarian prime minister, but at the same time, these efforts were not supported by the Ukrainian side, namely Zelensky," Peskov said.

The Kremlin spokesman reminded that the White House will have the team of current US President Joe Biden until January 20, which makes all decisions until that date.

The day before, Trump's future national security aide Michael Waltz said that Trump's team is ready to consider Orban's peace initiative and believes that the fighting in Ukraine should be stopped. Waltz then pointed out that the president-elect's office is now coordinating its moves with the current Biden administration.

Orban said on Dec. 11 that Hungary had proposed that Ukraine establish a cease-fire in the conflict over Christmas and exchange more prisoners with Russia, but Zelensky rejected the idea. Such a response saddened the Hungarian side.

Peskov recalled on December 12 that Orban had outlined his idea of a Christmas ceasefire and prisoner exchange to the Russian leader during a phone conversation with Putin on December 11. The Russian presidential spokesman emphasized that Moscow has never refused to negotiate with Kiev and supports Orban's idea.

Putin, for his part, said as early as June 14 that Russia has always sought peace and is ready to sit down at the negotiating table even tomorrow. This can be realized when Ukraine officially gives up its plan to join NATO and withdraws its troops from Russian regions.

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.