Russia blames war on NATO as it pounds Ukraine, demands territory for talks
Al Jazeera
Moscow tells the world it is open to talks if Kyiv cedes territories Russia has invaded as NATO summit kicks off in US.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has pressed on with his shuttle diplomacy to achieve a ceasefire in Ukraine, visiting Beijing on Monday after passing through Kyiv and Moscow.
Ukrainian allies NATO and the European Union disavowed the mission, saying Orban was not undertaking an initiative on their behalf. Russia, after initially dismissing Orban’s effort, said it could prove “very valuable”.
“He has shown his political will for dialogue. We take it very, very positively. We believe it can be very useful,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.
That marked a change from his initial assessment.
Orban visited Kyiv on July 2, immediately after Hungary assumed the rotating presidency of the European Union, and Moscow three days later.
