Ukraine blasted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for undermining Western unity by calling Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, criticism that Budapest said showed Kyiv was not interested in a "Christmas ceasefire" in the war.

Orban, who has maintained a controversial relationship with Moscow since the start of the war, described the ongoing conflict as entering “the most dangerous weeks”

The Hungarian government has not yet commented on the call, which appears to have taken place after Orban's visit to Trump's Florida residence.

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who holds the European Union's rotating presidency, on Wednesday said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had "rejected" a proposal for a Christmas ceasefire in the war with Russia.

Mr Orban infuriated fellow EU leaders in July by visiting Moscow just days after taking over the bloc’s rotating six-month presidency. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday discussed the war in Ukraine in a call with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is casting himself as a possible peacemaker. “There was a thorough exchange of views on Ukrainian issues,