Hungarian Prime Minister Orban views the American president as a potential peace broker in the Ukraine conflict.
Hungary's Prime Minister is advocating for an immediate halt to hostilities between Moscow and Kiev, but he doesn't fancy himself as the mediator. Instead, he's banking on Trump to step up and brokering a peace deal. He feels let down by Angela Merkel's diplomatic skills and regrets that she's no longer in the picture.
Before Hungary takes over the EU presidency on July 1, Prime Minister Viktor Orban is pushing for an initiative to cease the fighting in Ukraine. He believes that Russia's aggression against Ukraine is unacceptable and violates international cooperation principles. Now, it's about stopping the bloodshed at the frontlines. The termination of the war in Ukraine is a top priority for Hungary's EU presidency.
Orban suggests that Trump takes the lead on Ukraine and Russia and orders them: "Cut it out, we'll put an end to the bloodshed starting tomorrow morning, and then we'll talk." This, he believes, could be the way forward. He didn't specify whether Ukraine would need to surrender territories in such a scenario, as Putin had made that a precondition for peace talks.
No one knows how the situation will unfold or what Russia's response will be. "We've never tried it, which is another reason why I'm for a second Trump presidency," Orban declared. He emphasized that this isn't about Ukraine or Russia's interests. The goal is to create a peaceful environment for negotiations that both sides and Europe can accept.
"Should we fly a NATO flag over Crimea?"
Orban calls on Europe to decide its stance on supporting Ukraine. "This war is about securing Ukraine's right to join NATO – something Russia vehemently opposes and the West firmly supports. But should we brandish a NATO flag over Crimea? No one has clearly stated that," Orban pointed out. Instead of providing financial aid to fallen Ukrainian soldiers, money is being spent on the conflict. "If Ukraine were on its own, there would have been a ceasefire by now." In the end, it's about "a new European security framework where we can coexist peacefully." Russia may not be European in nature, but it can and should be part of the European security order.
Orban believes that there wouldn't be a Ukrainian conflict if Angela Merkel were still in office. "She would have done what she did after Russia annexed Crimea: isolate the conflict, don't escalate it," Orban shared with the newspapers.
