Milanović: Only U.S. and Russia can end Ukraine war

President Zoran Milanović addressed the situation in Ukraine during a speech on “Global Challenges and Politics” at the Faculty of Organization and Informatics in Varaždin. 

Since the start of the conflict, Milanović has maintained that only the United States and Russia have the power to bring an end to the war.

"Moscow and Washington need to discuss de-escalation - forget about Brussels, they're irrelevant. It requires an unbelievable amount of trust to sit down and talk to someone that you know you can turn to you dust - and vice versa. It would be good even if they de-escalated the situation by only 10%. On the other hand, Europe is furious. They're lobbying for the peace talks between Trump and Putin NOT to happen and for this destructive war in Ukraine to continue," Milanović said.

Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán confirmed on Wednesday that preparations are still underway for a face-to-face meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Budapest. Both Washington and Moscow have said they are open to discussing a peace plan, though no exact timeline has been set.

"I don't want to have a wasted meeting, I don't want to waste time. But I'll see what happens. We've reached all these great agreements, peace agreements. They're all solid," said Trump.

Kremlin Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov confirmed that no date had been set. "However, thorough preparation is needed, which takes time. Nobody wants to waste time, neither President Trump nor President Putin. They are presidents who are used to working efficiently and productively, and that requires preparation."

Opinions in Europe differ on whether direct talks between the U.S. and Russia are the most effective path forward.