Orban Says Ukraine Peace Initiatives Slow, Asks Zelensky To Accept Quick Ceasefire; US Pledges $2.3b – News18

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to consider a “quick” ceasefire in the war with Russia. Orban, an outspoken critic of Western military aid to Ukraine, paid a surprise visit to Kyiv on July 2 for talks with Zelensky. Orban said he urged Zelensky to reverse a decree that declared the prospect of talks with Russian president Putin “impossible.” Zelensky did not mention Orban’s ceasefire proposal but said he appreciated Hungary’s participation in the first Ukraine peace summit. Meanwhile, the US will provide a new $2.3 billion package of security assistance for Ukraine, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said.