On Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the condition for the start of peace talks in the Ukraine conflict was the withdrawal of Russian troops from Ukrainian territory. 
 
"The condition is that Russian President [Vladimir Putin] must agree to withdraw troops, this is a condition for negotiations," Scholz said at a federal congress of one of the country's largest trade unions, Ver.di, adding that calls for peace talks were "cynical." 

"These are very cynical statements, telling a country on whose territory there are tanks from another country to negotiate and not to defend itself," Scholz added. 
 

In repeated statements, Moscow said it is open to peace negotiations as long as Kiev recognizes the territorial gains Russian forces have made since the Russian military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. 

Earlier on Friday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that European countries will ultimately force Ukraine into peace negotiations with Russia due to the bloc's plummeting economic standard.

During an interview for Kossuth Radio, Orban asserted that the "deterioration of the economic situation in the West will force countries to stand up for peace." 

His analysis underscores the significant impact the ongoing conflict has on Europe's economy and the potential impetus for change as long as it persists.

Nevertheless, Orban pointed out that despite the economic repercussions, a majority of EU governments still support the continuation of the conflict, characterizing "war supporters" as prevalent among them.