Ukrainian presidential adviser, Mykhailo Podolyak, has said that calls for an immediate ceasefire in the war in Ukraine would only prompt Moscow to make further attacks.
Podolyak noted in a post on X, “Literally, in parallel with the deliberate attack on children in the Ukrainian capital, the leaders of Hungary and China once again demanded ‘an immediate ceasefire’.”
“This demand is not directed at Russia. It is directed only at the West and Ukraine. And its purpose is to create a false feeling: the aggressor has the right to kill, because he speaks of ‘peace’, and the victim should not defend himself and therefore should immediately stop resistance.”
Mykhailo Podolyak
Podolyak’s remarks came as Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban met Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Orban made a surprise visit to China after similar trips last week to Russia and Ukraine to discuss prospects for a peaceful settlement of more than the two-year war.
Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union this month and Orbán has since embarked on a peace mission, which, however, lacks the endorsement of other European leaders.
Orban wrote on the social media platform X that China is a key power in creating the conditions for peace in the Russia-Ukraine war, adding, “This is why I came to meet with President Xi in Beijing, just two months after his official visit to Budapest.”
Orban hosted the Chinese leader in Hungary only two months ago as part of a three-country European tour that also included stops in France and Serbia, which unlike the other two is not a member of the EU or NATO.
Orbán is widely seen as having the warmest relations with Xi and Russian President Vladimir Putin among European leaders.
His visit to Moscow last week drew condemnation from Kyiv and EU officials, who insisted Orbán was not acting on behalf of the whole European bloc.
Orbán will next head to Washington, D.C., where NATO leaders are holding a summit to discuss ways to assure Ukraine of the alliance’s continued support.
“Next stop: Washington,” Orban posted on his social media account.
Xi Calls For Ceasefire Between Russia And Ukraine
In his meeting with Orban, Chinese President, Xi Jinping called on Russia and Ukraine to cease fire.
Xi called on world powers to help Russia and Ukraine resume direct dialogue.
“The international community should create conditions for the resumption of direct dialogue and negotiations between the two sides and provide assistance,” Xi told Orban.
“It is in the interests of all parties to seek a political solution through an early ceasefire,” he added.
Xi asserted that only when all major powers project “positive energy rather than negative energy” can a cease-fire occur.
During his meeting with Xi, Orban described China as a stabilizing force amid global turbulence and praised its “constructive and important” peace initiatives.
China, which has close ties to Russia, has been promoting its own six-point peace plan, which it issued with Brazil in May. Beijing says it is neutral in the conflict.
China has also been proposing an international peace conference “at a proper time” and calling for equal participation by both Ukraine and Russia.
During his visit to Kyiv last week, Orban said that he had asked Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy to consider a quick ceasefire that could accelerate peace talks.
Both Zelenskyy and Russian President, Vladimir Putin rejected Orban’s call for a ceasefire, with the Ukrainian leader saying his country “cannot just trust Putin in principle.”
READ ALSO: Children’s Hospital In Kyiv Hit By Russian Missile
