Is Hungary distancing itself from Putin? Russian President begins peace talks in Slovakia instead
Peace talks may start in Slovakia, which Putin called neutral
Russian President Vladimir Putin told reporters at a press briefing in St. Petersburg that Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed his country’s readiness to provide a platform for negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv. “If it comes to that – why not”, Putin evaluated the offer. The Hungarian government offered multiple times Budapest as a venue for peace talks.
“If it comes to that – why not. Because Slovakia takes such a neutral position, from our point of view. This is an acceptable option for us,” he said about Fico’s offer to provide a platform for negotiations between Moscow and Kyiv.
Expressing that Russia has always been in favor of deliveries of natural gas to Europe, Putin said that they have also been for “depoliticizing economic issues,” indicating Moscow’s readiness to supply gas via neighboring Poland.
The Russian president went on to remind Ukraine’s decision of not to extend the contract between Moscow and Kyiv on gas transit to Europe which is set to expire on 1 January.
“They (Ukraine) are pecked from the hand, as I have already said, by Europe, because without European support Ukraine cannot even exist, let alone fight. But now they are punishing the same Europe by closing the transit contract for the supply of our gas to Europe,” he went on to say.
He also said that it would not be possible to renew the contract before the New Year as it is “impossible to conclude it in 3-4 days.”
Kremlin ready for peace talks
Moscow remains open to resolving the conflict in Ukraine through negotiations, but Kyiv continues to reject this option, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday. Due to the lack of progress on Ukraine’s readiness for talks, Russia continues its “special military operation,” Peskov told reporters during a press briefing in Moscow.
“We are focused on achieving all objectives necessary to ensure our nation’s security,” he stressed. Commenting on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán prediction about the end of the conflict next year, “either through a peace agreement or the defeat of one side,” Peskov said: “The dynamics of the fighting speak for themselves. We are advancing”, the Turkish Anadolu News Agency wrote.
In 1994, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom guaranteed Ukraine’s independence and sovereignty in the existing borders in the Budapest Memorandum.
President Zelenskyy slammed Fico for his offering and said Slovakia helped Russia fill its war coffers by continuing to buy Russian energy.
