Zelenskyy slams Orban over call with Russia’s Putin to discuss Ukraine

Kyiv has long called for unity among its allies on isolating Putin and said discussions on the war must include Ukraine.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for discussing the Ukraine war in a call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Orban, who has maintained closer ties with Putin than other European countries throughout Russia’s war in Ukraine, said on X that the pair’s phone call on Wednesday lasted an hour and that “these are the most dangerous weeks” of the war.

“No one should boost [their] personal image at the expense of unity,” Zelenskyy said on X.

“We all hope that Orban at least won’t call Assad in Moscow to listen to his hour-long lectures as well,” he added, referring to Russia’s decision to grant deposed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad political asylum.

Kyiv has repeatedly called for unity among its allies on isolating Putin and has said any discussions on the war must involve Ukraine.