7/2/24
Hungary's Orban Says Kiev Trip Aimed at Addressing EU Challenges
This marks Orban's first visit to Kiev in a decade. Hungary is currently holding the presidency of the European Union Council until July 1. Orban's press secretary has announced that during this visit, the Hungarian leader plans to discuss topics concerning peace and various bilateral issues with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky.
"The goal of the Hungarian presidency is to contribute to solving the challenges facing the European Union. Therefore, my first trip led to Kiev," Orban wrote on Facebook, posting a photo from his meeting with Zelensky.
In a recent interview with M1 TV, Orban suggested that if Donald Trump wins the US presidential election, a ceasefire in Ukraine would follow, leading to eventual negotiations between Russia and the US. He stressed that Europe must consider how it would be represented in such potential talks. Orban indicated that Hungary's peace efforts would commence the next day, if Trump won the US presidential race.
After meeting Trump in March, Orban mentioned that the former US president promised not to fund Ukraine if re-elected, asserting that without US support, Europe couldn't sustain the conflict, leading to its end.
Orban has expressed his wish for Trump to return to the White House in order to bring about peace in Eastern Europe. He is of the belief that if Trump were president, the conflict in Ukraine would quickly come to an end. The Hungarian Prime Minister has stressed that peace in Ukraine can only be achieved through talks between Russia and the United States. He has pointed out that Europe missed an opportunity to mediate the situation due to its failure to enforce the Minsk agreements.