A new flashpoint in Polish–Ukrainian ties emerged after President Karol Nawrocki proposed outlawing Bandera symbols, branding them equal to Nazi insignia. While Warsaw frames the bill as historical justice, Kyiv condemned it as a hostile act, warning of consequences for bilateral relations.
The Hungarian airline is planning to open a hub at Tel Aviv airport, but Israeli competitors may easily stand in its way. Executives of El Al have even lodged a complaint directly with Prime Minister Netanyahu against Wizz Air’s expansion.
Hungarian-owned Autent Solutions Ltd has received 330 million forints in non-refundable EU-backed funding to further develop its energy-efficient industrial cooling technology, aiming to cut energy use and reduce carbon footprints.
Budapest’s St Stephen’s Day celebrations drew a record crowd, with over 798,000 visitors detected via mobile data—a 12.5 per cent rise from last year. The fireworks alone attracted more than 450,000 people, including nearly 89,000 foreign tourists, marking a 27 per cent surge compared to 2024.
Péter Szijjártó said on Thursday that Hungary is ready to host potential Putin–Zelenskyy talks to end the war in Ukraine. With Trump’s administration eyeing Budapest as a possible location, the city has emerged as a strong contender—but also a divisive one, drawing a sharp rebuke from Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who warned against repeating past failures.
‘Just days after Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Chancellor Olaf Scholz declared a Zeitenwende—a historic turning point—in the Bundestag, pledging greater support for Ukraine and a significant strengthening of Germany’s armed forces…Yet, despite ambitious plans and ongoing modernization efforts, the proclaimed turning point fell short of delivering the sweeping, immediate changes…’
‘There’s so much that can be done or can happen even if you don’t speak any Hungarian. If you’re the person in your family who cares about your Hungarian heritage but you don’t share what you know, who is going to? It’s up to you to do it.’
‘This is significant because Hungary is uniquely positioned to be an asset to President Trump as he handles another crisis in the Indo-Pacific region: China and its continued threats to militarily invade Taiwan. Hungary is increasingly proving itself to be an indispensable country for China and its overall strategy in Europe, and is becoming increasingly important financially for Taiwan.’
European leaders’ obsession with the Munich analogy ahead of the Trump–Putin summit is turning history into a political crutch. Leaders warn of appeasement, yet ignore the radically different context of today’s war, risking self-imposed irrelevance in peace talks and handing strategic advantage to Washington and Moscow.
During an 11 August press conference at the White House, Donald Trump said he had sought advice from Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on whether Ukraine can defeat Russia, calling the insight ‘very interesting’. Trump is set to meet Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday to discuss a potential peace framework for the war in Ukraine.