US President Donald Trump will not consider stricter measures against Russia, despite appeals from EU leaders and Ukraine during the NATO annual summit in The Hague. Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued that such actions would signal the end of diplomatic engagement.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán clashed during the annual NATO summit in The Hague over Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union. While Zelenskyy argued that it is unfair for a single member state to block Ukraine’s EU aspirations, Orbán responded that it is equally unfair to risk dragging the Union into a direct conflict with Russia.
The European Commission’s latest country-specific recommendations have drawn strong criticism from the Center for Fundamental Rights, which claims Brussels is pushing Hungary to abandon popular domestic policies in favour of multinational and geopolitical interests.
‘My colleagues listed some…fine principles: sovereignty, diversification, energy security, solidarity. However,…if the von der Leyen-Zelenskyy plan goes into effect, Hungary will be subject to the opposite of all these. This proposal is a serious violation of our sovereignty, since the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union states that energy policy decisions are a national competence.’
As the Trump administration signals its intention to step back from peace talks over the war in Ukraine—pressuring Kyiv and Moscow to engage in direct negotiations—a new structure for peace efforts is beginning to take shape. In parallel, the Vatican under Pope Leo XIV is assuming an increasingly active role in the process, positioning Rome as the new epicentre of the negotiations.
Hungarian agricultural leaders warn that Ukraine’s EU accession and EU budget reforms could slash farm subsidies by up to 25 per cent. Farmers and industry bodies rallied in Brussels to protest against plans that could merge the CAP into a broader superfund.
‘As the European Union and the Turkic world steadily evolve into natural economic allies, Hungary’s role in this process is becoming increasingly pivotal. Thanks to the trust it has earned…Hungary is well-positioned to act as a bridge between the two blocs. Hungarian–Uzbek relations are flourishing, with both nations serving as keystone states within their respective regions.’
‘An EU–UK “reset” should not violate the will of the people as expressed during the Brexit referendum; nevertheless, negotiating some form of economic cooperation with the EU is possible, and it could potentially be beneficial for both the UK and EU member states.’
Since taking office in December 2023, Donald Tusk has been dismantling the pillars of Poland’s rule of law. While international media have focused on politically charged prosecutions of former officials, one aspect of this vicious campaign remains largely untold: it involves serious rights abuses, psychological torture, and intimidation directed at civil servants.
‘The EPP held its Congress last week, in Valencia, Spain. The choice of location soon became a burden to the organizers, however, as locals’ EPP-inflicted wounds are fresh. About half a year ago, the region was hit by a deadly flood that took the lives of 228 people.’