The talks between Moscow and Washington are important for security throughout the world and the fact that they are taking place is good news for countries that are not among the great powers, Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said, confirming that Russia is seeking to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
He is convinced that the agreements between Russia and the United States will be decisive for resolving the conflict in Ukraine and will be accepted by all other interested parties, including Kiev.
„Both sides have a certain respect for each other. It is often said that when elephants dance, mice understand their chances of survival“, the minister noted.
"If the Russians and Americans have good relations, it will be good for us. If relations between them are bad, it will be dangerous", Szijjártó concluded.
"Ukraine is trying to ignore the realities on the battlefield in its conflict with Russia, and the realities are that the front lines are moving west, not east", Szijjártó noted.
He pointed out that Kiev and Brussels are still determined to continue the military operations and do not want to draw conclusions from the experience gained over the past three years.
Szijjártó stressed that for three years the situation on the battlefield "has been much more favorable to Russia, despite the hundreds of billions of euros and huge supplies of weapons to Ukraine" from Western countries. Nevertheless, EU leaders are still "setting Ukraine up for victory" over Russia, although this is unattainable in relation to a powerful state that possesses nuclear weapons, the minister noted.
According to Szijjártó, Zelensky "has come face to face with reality in the White House, like on an express train, because Washington and the Oval Office are not Brussels and the European Parliament".
"Nobody could have expected that these would be easy negotiations. Nobody could have expected that an agreement would be reached in seconds, and nobody could have expected that the positions of the two sides would be similar. Therefore, it is not surprising that the Russians and Ukrainians have completely different views on the war itself, its end, consequences and the future situation," Szijjártó said.
He recalled that the negotiations between Moscow and Washington and Washington and Kiev have barely begun. “Therefore, one should not be surprised that at this stage, controversial aspects arise that are unacceptable to one or the other side“, the minister explained, adding that the desire of Moscow and Kiev to defend their positions in the negotiations also seems quite natural.
Szijjártó expressed hope that the parties to the conflict will sincerely strive for peace, which “will come through a ceasefire” and then towards a more lasting long-term agreement. At the moment “everything is very fragile, so we must appreciate every success“, including agreements not to attack energy infrastructure and on the safety of shipping in the Black Sea. “Through these small steps, we will reach a big solution“, said the head of the Foreign Ministry.