Pressman Is Gone
On 14 January, after just over two years, US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman’s tenure came to an end. His legacy will be remembered not for strengthening US–Hungarian relations, but for significantly undermining them.
On 14 January, after just over two years, US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman’s tenure came to an end. His legacy will be remembered not for strengthening US–Hungarian relations, but for significantly undermining them.
The United States has long given up any intent for territorial expansion. Incoming President Donald Trump, however, is bringing the spirit of ‘Manifest Destiny’ back to the White House, and is already making progress on making the acquisition of Greenland a reality.
Hungarian governing party Fidesz’s MEP András László shared a lengthy post on X, drawing attention to the Western double standard regarding billionaires meddling in European politics. He pointed out the contrasting treatment of Elon Musk and George Soros, with the latter being praised while the former is demonized. Musk retweeted the post, causing it to go viral within a few days.
‘As we step into 2025, the world stands at a crossroads and on the brink of major breakthroughs in many aspects. The world order is in transition. Artificial Intelligence is poised to reach new milestones, unimaginable only a few years ago. Many crises, natural or manufactured, have reshaped the geopolitical landscape, and tested our societies’ resilience.’
US President-elect Donald Trump announced his readiness to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday, a statement reaffirmed by the Kremlin the following day. With a pro-peace administration set to take power in the United States and significant political shifts already underway in Europe, the pro-war EU is finding itself isolated in its unconditional support for Ukraine.
The US Embassy in Hungary issued a warning on Friday via a Facebook post, targeting ‘those who are in business’ with Antal Rogán, a senior Hungarian government official sanctioned by the US Treasury on Tuesday. In an exclusive statement to Hungarian Conservative, Bryan Leib, a potential successor to US Ambassador to Hungary David Pressman, stated that everything would change following Donald Trump’s inauguration.
Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of Italy defended Elon Musk at a press conference in Rome yesterday, asking the reporters: ‘Is the problem that he is rich and influential, or that he’s not left-wing?’ She also said she believes Musk is no threat to democracy, George Soros is.
Former US Ambassador to Hungary David Cornstein has joined the critics of the Biden administration’s decision to impose sanctions on senior Hungarian government official Antal Rogán. Cornstein characterized the decision as ‘terrible and shameful’.
In a provocative and disingenuous statement, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry declared that Ukraine would be prepared to take Hungary’s place in NATO and the European Union if Hungary chose to exit them and join Russian-led organizations such as the CIS and CSTO instead. Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó described the statement as ‘rather aggressive.’
‘A Hungarian grand strategy for the 21st century must be based on principles that go beyond the question of Eastern or Western orientation.’