Orban's Peace Mission: Xi Calls for Ceasefire in Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made a surprise visit to Beijing to discuss the Ukraine war with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During their meeting, Xi called for a ceasefire and subsequent negotiations to serve the interests of all parties involved.

Orban, who had previously warned of further escalation of the fighting and called for peace negotiations, stressed that he was not acting on behalf of the EU. The visit comes after Orban's visits to Ukraine and Russia as part of his self-declared 'peace mission.' Xi and Orban expressed alignment in their peace efforts and emphasized the need for the international community to create conditions for the warring parties to resume negotiations.

However, the German government and other EU representatives have distanced themselves from Orban's actions, emphasizing that he does not speak for the EU or as an EU representative. Orban's close ties with Russia despite the Ukraine war have drawn criticism from the EU and NATO.