Hungarian PM Viktor Orban calls on Kiev to launch peace talks, opposition and Erdogan blame each other for clashes in Turkey, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro wants to resume talks with the US. These stories topped Wednesday's newspaper headlines across Russia, according to TASS News Agency.

Izvestia: Orban visits Kiev with ceasefire proposal

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, having come to Kiev for the first time in 12 years, has asked Vladimir Zelensky to think about a ceasefire and launch the peace process with Russia. Observers do not expect any breakthroughs from the visit: for the Hungarian politician this trip is more important in the context of Budapest’s chairmanship in the EU Council which began on July 1. Russia also thinks that within the framework of these talks Orban is representing Brussels’ interests. However, Hungary stresses that its main goal is to achieve peace in Europe.

Theoretically, Hungary could serve as a mediator between Russia and Ukraine but the EU will oppose this and European political circles will clearly do everything possible to block any peace initiatives put forward by Budapest on this matter, Oleg Nemensky, leading expert at the Russian Institute for Strategic Studies, told Izvestia.

"Hungary, as the chairing country, will have its hands tied on the Russian-Ukrainian issue, so, unfortunately, one shouldn’t expect any substantial peace initiatives and related events initiated by Budapest. The thing is that Hungary does not have any particular influence in this process, on the very possibility of peace talks on Ukraine. And if such talks are launched, it will be by Brussels and Washington’s decision. However, from Brussels’ point of view, Hungary will be a useful participant. Although, most likely, on the contrary, they will try to isolate it from this process as much as possible because its stance is seen as pro-Russia," he specified.

"As long as Russia keeps winning, the idea of freezing the conflict gains traction in the West. They want us to halt combat at the frontline in exchange for Ukraine not joining NATO. This is a highly disadvantageous situation for Russia: the status of a key partner of the North Atlantic alliance will not prevent the West from flooding Ukraine with weapons again and prepare it for round two," Alexey Fenenko, professor at Moscow State University’s Faculty of World Politics, noted.

He stressed that one also shouldn’t think that the situation will change should Donald Trump come to power in the US. "We did not see anything good while he was president. We saw the exit from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty, from the Treaty on Open Skies, bombardments of Syria right before the eyes of our forces and flooding Ukraine with arms," the political scientist concluded.

Vedomosti: Erdogan, opposition play blame game over anti-Syrian clashes

Turkey’s largest opposition Republican People's Party (CHP or Kemalists) has blamed Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan for the mass anti-Syrian protests that have been raging in the country for the past three days, triggered by the alleged rape of a child by a Syrian refugee. The opposition claims that the current government's migration policy led to the unrest, publishing a 10-point list of accusations on the CHP’s official website on July 2. Meanwhile, Erdogan, in a TV address on July 1, accused the opposition of inciting violence, "toxic discourse," igniting xenophobia and racism which, in his opinion, led to the disturbances.

Syrian refugees reside mostly in Turkey’s biggest cities and, from the point of view of the local population, create social and economic problems, said Ikbal Durre, associate professor at Moscow State Linguistic University. According to the expert, the opposition could not have provoked the current disturbances. Alina Vernigora, researcher at the Center for the Study of Strategic Planning at the Russian Academy of Sciences’ Institute of World Economy and International Relations (IMEMO RAS), thinks that the migration problem, although a hot button issue in the country, does not have the polarizing political force as other social issues. In her opinion, criticizing the official migration policy will backfire on the opposition, leading to a rise in xenophobia and nationalistic movements that sympathize with the current government.

On the one hand, the clashes may facilitate a rapprochement between Ankara and Damascus: the authorities realize that without resolving the Syrian crisis it is impossible to return the refugees to their homes. On the other hand, Durre notes, anti-Turkish protests in northwestern Syria may slow this process down. "Syrians are worried that during talks, the Turks will leave them to their devices and turn them over to government forces. Today, they are reacting to the events in Turkey rather mildly while tomorrow they may begin carrying out terror attacks against Turkish citizens," the expert said.

Vernigora reiterates that the Turkish government tries to brand the clashes as "provocations," aiming to undermine "fraternal" relations between the peoples. "Bolstering ties between the countries in this sense would have facilitated effective migration policy," she concluded.

Vedomosti: Venezuela seeks to reopen negotiations with US

Venezuela and the US will resume talks on the eve of the election in the Latin American country slated for July 28, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said on his TV show ConMaduro+. "We will hold talks in order to conclude new agreements and achieve the implementation of the agreements concluded earlier," the Venezuelan leader said.

The opposition in Venezuela managed to put aside their long-standing differences and put forward a single candidate, Tatyana Rusakova, an expert of the Russian International Affairs Council, said. Maduro himself does not have enough support to win the election easily, and the opposition’s unity after Maria Corina Machado was blocked from the running caught him by surprise, the expert added. Dmitry Rozental, director of the Latin American Studies Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, disagrees.

In his opinion, despite the higher rating of opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who is campaigning aggressively, Maduro still has a good chance to win.

The motivation of the incumbent president to resume talks with the US is obvious: this is a demonstration of readiness for dialogue in order to remove painful financial and technological sanctions, Rozental said. Caracas needs to return to 2019 oil production volumes which, in turn, is needed to calm down the markets and potential investors and assure them of continued dialogue with the US and opposition after the election, Rusakova added.

However, in reality, under the current government, the US and Venezuela don’t have much to talk about, Rozental thinks. "Caracas has nothing to offer to Washington. Maduro is hardly capable of fulfilling potential electoral guarantees - allow opposition candidates in the election and ensure its transparency. As a result, there may be some interaction between the US and Venezuela for now but this will not result in a breakthrough in relations," the expert concluded.

Nezavisimaya Gazeta: Yerevan moves to mend ties with Russia

The Armenian government has done an about face on its Russia policy, shifting from a series of public accusations against Moscow to making an effort to improve relations. For instance, Yerevan has rejected the idea of holding a referendum on joining the EU, decided to develop economic ties with Belgorod, battered by the Ukrainian army, and on July 4, will send to Russia a parliamentary delegation led by Deputy Speaker of Armenia’s parliament Hakob Arshakyan.

Hayk Khalatyan, who heads the Analytical Center for Strategic Research and Initiatives, connected these moves by the Armenian authorities with signals coming from Russia. "For example, last week, Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk came out with a rather serious warning. He talked about the incompatibility of the EU and EAEU and also pointed out that the entry of some non-regional players will have consequences," the expert reiterated.

That said, Khalatyan thinks that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has merely taken a tactical pause in the rapprochement with the West. According to the analyst, the complete rejection of this strategy is possible only if there is a threat to Pashinyan remaining in power.

"That said, it is necessary to note that the West, particularly the European Union, is not ready to compensate Armenia for possible losses in the sphere of economy or neutralize the existing threats in the security sphere, no matter what Armenian domestic pro-Western forces say. However, the EU and US do want to take advantage of a convenient situation to push Russia out of the republic and in general reduce its influence in the South Caucasus," the expert stressed.

In turn, Armenian political scientist Grant Mikaelyan suggested that the Armenian government was promoting the idea of the referendum hoping for some positive reaction from the EU but failed to receive one. As a result, the Armenian authorities decided to smooth out relations with Russia. "Pashinyan is making decisions based on the current circumstances. Thus, his actions are affected by what steps Western countries and Russia are taking," the expert noted.

 Izvestia: Russia eyes stablecoins to make doing business globally easier

Russia may officially allow the use of stablecoins for trans-border transactions, Izvestia found out. These are cryptoassets tied to a specific exchange rate, for example the dollar (like a popular USDT) or gold, which makes them less volatile. Business circles find the initiative promising, for instance, for transactions with BRICS countries. This will simplify international transactions for Russian companies under sanctions, experts think.

Stablecoins and digital financial assets can be used for trans-border transactions, and are a very promising instrument, Alexander Murychev, executive vice-president of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP) told Izvestia. According to him, if these backed assets are engaged, they will add a greater volume of liquidity on the market and will help form a long-term resource.

Deals with the use of stablecoins will be difficult to track for third-country regulators, Natalya Milchakova, lead analyst at Freedom Finance Global, stressed. According to her, this instrument will also allow transactions with individuals under sanctions to be completed without worrying about secondary measures.

Stablecoins and the use of a blockchain will make doing business easier, averting the need for SWIFT and other payment systems, Yury Belikov, managing director of "Expert RA'" rating agency added. This is particularly pertinent amid the West’s new restrictions.

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