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Ceasefire in Ukraine could accelerate peace talks - Orban

Viktor Orban met Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv
Viktor Orban met Volodymyr Zelensky during a visit to Kyiv

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said that Budapest values Ukraine's peace initiatives, but it should "consider a quick ceasefire" that could accelerate talks to end the war with Russia.

Speaking during a visit to Kyiv, Mr Orban also said that he wanted to improve ties with Ukraine and to sign a broad bilateral cooperation agreement.

He added that his country was ready to take part in the modernisation of Ukraine's economy.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the discussions between the two leaders could serve as a basis for a future agreement between their nations.

Moscow can't comment on Trump plan to end war

Russia cannot comment on former US president Donald Trump's idea for ending the war in Ukraine because Moscow does not know what it involves, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

Mr Trump said last week that if he won the November election, he would have the war settled before he took office in January.

"This is not Trump's first statement on this, and he has made statements along these lines before. Without knowing the essence of what this is about, we cannot comment on it," Mr Peskov said.

Russia has said that any peace plan for Ukraine proposed by a possible future Trump administration would have to reflect the reality on the ground, where its forces control nearly a fifth of the country, but that President Vladimir Putin was open to talks.

Ukraine says Russia's terms for ending the war amount to a demand for its surrender.

Mr Trump has not said how he would go about ending the war, now well into its third year.

In last week's debate with President Joe Biden, he said Russia would not have invaded Ukraine in February 2022 if there had been a "real president" in the US who was respected by Mr Putin.

Mr Biden said Mr Trump had "no idea what the hell he's talking about".

Russian ammunition depot destroyed - Ukraine

Meanwhile, Ukraine's air force commander Mykola Oleshchuk said the military has carried out a "destructive strike" on a Russian ammunition depot in Crimea, which is occupied by Russia.

"Once again, Ukrainian aircraft 'destroyed' by enemy propaganda continue to successfully perform combat missions," he added on social media, referring to a report by Russia's defence ministry that five Ukrainian military jets had been destroyed at an airfield in the central Poltava region.