Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has denied allegations that his country is politically isolated in the EU due to its position on Ukraine, Paralel.Az reports citing TASS.

"If you have your own opinion, which is different from the opinion of the other 26 [EU members] and you are alone, it still doesn’t mean isolation, but discussions. This is democracy," Orban said at a press conference following an informal EU summit in the Hungarian capital of Budapest.

According to him, had Hungary really been isolated, it would have been unable to hold discussions with its allies, while discussions continue despite disagreements.

When speaking about Ukraine, Orban reiterated his calls for a ceasefire and the launch of peace talks between the parties to the conflict, saying he was confident that the issue could not be resolved on the battlefield. The Hungarian premier also pointed out that he had not sought to convince Vladimir Zelensky of anything during his visit to Kiev in July but only told him that "time is not on their side." Zelensky disagreed and the Ukrainians "decided to keep fighting; that’s their business," Orban added.

He made it clear that the outcome of his visit to Moscow was the same. "None of the parties is ready for a ceasefire," Orban noted. However, he confirmed his readiness to continue his peacemaking mission.