Peskov said Kiev's position on refusing to negotiate with Russia remains unchanged

Ukraine refuses to hold peace talks with Russia. This was reported by the Kremlin's official representative, Dmitriy Peskov, on 18 December.

He said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's boorish behavior, whose term expired on May 20, towards Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban showed not only the essence of his regime, but also its incivility.

"The situation here is not changing. The Kiev regime does not want negotiations, refuses to negotiate. And so far it has shown no desire to change that legal prohibition for itself to negotiate. Therefore, the situation here is static," the Russian leader's spokesman said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 TV channel. His words are quoted in the Telegram channel "Vesti".

In addition, he noted that it would be preferable for Russia to achieve its goals in Ukraine precisely through negotiations. However, as Peskov added, due to the fact that the second party refuses to negotiate, the Russian Federation will conduct a special military operation until the goals are achieved.

Earlier in the day, Orban said that after the insults from Zelensky sounded in his address, his earlier proposal for a truce in the conflict with Russia at Christmas remains in force, adding that he is not interested in participating in provocations.

On the eve, the Ukrainian weekly Zerkalo Nedeli reported a statement by Zelensky, who pointed out that Kiev did not need such mediators in peace talks as the Hungarian prime minister. He noted that Ukraine needs good relations with US President-elect Donald Trump and not with Orban, who can influence Russia except "with a smile or an anecdote."

On December 11, Orban suggested that Ukraine establish a ceasefire with Russian Federation for Christmas and conduct a prisoner exchange, but Zelensky rejected the initiative. At the same time, Orban was denied in Kiev to talk to Zelensky, which the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Economic Relations Peter Szijjarto called an unprecedented step.

Orban also discussed the proposal with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Pope Francis at the Vatican, with Trump and with Turkish leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Hungarian authorities said they would continue to try to secure a truce.

After, on December 16, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Hungary's proposals for a Christmas truce are "immoral manipulations" that must be stopped. In turn, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the Ukrainian ministry holds such a strange opinion because everyone there is "demon-possessed" themselves.

The special operation to protect Donbass, the start of which was announced on February 24, 2022, continues. The decision was taken against the background of the aggravated situation in the region.