Hungary PM speaks to Putin, says positive response about ceasefire

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Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said Wednesday he had urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to put in place an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine.

"I suggested to President Putin that he declare an immediate ceasefire," Orban told a press conference, adding that the Russian President had initiated the call. "His response was positive, but with conditions," Orban pointed out.

The Hungarian leader, re-elected on Sunday, added that he had invited Putin to Budapest along with French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for talks in Budapest.

Orban opposes Hungary sending weapons to Ukraine

Orban had previously had the closest relationship to Putin of any EU leader and on Wednesday restated his opposition to Hungary sending weapons to Ukraine and to the EU imposing an embargo on Russian energy imports, on which Hungary is highly dependent.

Asked about civilians found dead in the town of Bucha, Orban replied, "With all atrocities, we have to examine them, even though we live in an era of massive manipulation where we can't be sure if we can trust our own eyes."

He called for civilians to be protected "at all costs," adding that "we want an independent, fair investigation."

Russia denies Ukraine allegation of civilian killings in Bucha

Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maria Zakharova told Sputnik that a mass worldwide hype was paraded out over Bucha, where a criminal provocation took place.

A couple of days ago, Ukraine published footage it claimed shows evidence of crimes committed by the Russian armed forces in Bucha, a town in Kiev, and the Russian Ministry of Defense considered they were yet another provocation.

"All photos and video materials published by the Kiev regime allegedly testifying to some ‘crimes’ committed by Russian soldiers in the town of Bucha, Kiev region, is another provocation," Moscow's Defense Ministry affirmed.

The Ministry also clarified that all Russian units completely withdrew from the town in which the crimes allegedly took place as early as March 30, a day ahead of the talks between Moscow and Kiev in Turkey.

Russia requested a Security Council session tomorrow to discuss what it described as a provocation by Ukrainian extremists in Bucha.