Russia supports Turkey's proposal for int'l peace platform
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Kremlin spokesman disclosed that "President Putin is a staunch supporter of prioritizing diplomatic efforts to find a solution to the Ukrainian conflict."
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Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov attends a video conference with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a situation center in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia on April 14, 2020. (AP)
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov agreed with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, who encouraged the development of an international peace forum with broad involvement from many nations in order to resolve the Ukrainian crisis.
Speaking during a news briefing in Moscow on Monday, Peskov highlighted that Russian President Vladimir Putin has always been "a staunch supporter" of a diplomatic solution to the crisis.
Peskov stated that Russia "never refused to negotiate. On the contrary, we have always favored negotiations involving all interested parties. While there is no such platform currently, you can only agree with Mr. Fidan on this point."
Fidan spoke at the Informal Summit of the Heads of State of the Organization of Turkic States in Shusha, Azerbaijan, on Saturday, calling for a broader peace effort and a diplomatic platform to reduce polarization in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Hungary's Orban arrives in China on Ukraine peace mission
On Monday, Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban arrived in Beijing after talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a potential Ukrainian peace deal, which angered some EU leaders.
Orban wrote on his X account that he was on a "Peace Mission 3.0".
Peace mission 3.0 #Beijing pic.twitter.com/DZZFv4qAEH
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) July 7, 2024
During his visit, he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing.
"Prime Minister Viktor Orban's peace mission continues," Bertalan Havasi, Orban's press chief, told Hungarian state news agency MTI.
His visit to China comes after his recent visit to Kiev, where he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and also went to the Kremlin on a visit condemned by his allies.
Following his meeting with the Russian president, EU Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote on her X account: "Appeasement will not stop Putin."
Orban's visit also comes days ahead of a NATO summit that is expected to address further aid to Ukraine, as the European Commission is set to impose tariffs of up to 37.6% on imports of electric vehicles made in China.
On that note, earlier last month, the Bucharest Nine, a club of Eastern European and Baltic NATO nations, was contemplating kicking out Hungary for refusing to agree on the same policies toward Ukraine, the Financial Times said, citing sources.
