Orbán told Hungary’s M1 television on Monday that the meeting should be treated “as a fact,” saying its “framework already exists.”
Citing the recent peace summit in Sharm el-Sheikh on Gaza, he argued that talks can be finalized quickly after lengthy preparations: “The same can happen here.”
Referring to his Monday meeting at the Vatican with Pope Leon XIV, Orbán said there is now “a network of connections opposing war,” with “two central points: one that gathers forces under the leadership of the U.S. president, and another that gathers the spirit we find with the Holy Father.”
“We draw strength, motivation and blessing from both,” he added.
The Hungarian leader said peace would not emerge from Russia-Ukraine talks alone.
In his view, Europe must negotiate directly with Russia to reach a broader agreement on European security and Ukraine’s future.
Orbán’s comments follow shifting signals on a possible encounter between the two leaders in Budapest.
On Oct. 16, U.S. President Donald Trump said he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Hungarian capital within two weeks. On Saturday, Trump said he would not meet Putin until he knew an agreement to end the war would be reached.
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Source: PAP