Although Vladimir Putin likes to pose as a historian, it seems that he failed to learn from history that blitzkrieg-type invasions rarely worked in the 75 years since the Second World War – emphasized Mr. Roberts.
The petrodollar system, as can be seen, is the backbone of US hegemony in the world. And whenever a world leader has seriously challenged the system, the US and its NATO allies have been swift to respond to ensure US global dominance continues.
While on the surface Putin’s responsibility for the crisis is apparent, the reality is that Putin was provoked by the West to invade Ukraine.
Donald Trump seems to have lost patience with Vladimir Putin regarding peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine, as the US president has shifted his tone and promised increased weapon shipments to Kyiv. It increasingly appears that Trump has been unable to bring peace to Ukraine, just as Volodymyr Zelenskyy failed to deliver on the same campaign promise during his early days as president.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Hungary Fegyir Sándor has asked the Director General of the Hungarian State Opera House Szilverszter Ókovács to cancel a show by Russian Austrian opera singer Anna Netrebko for her support for President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Ókovács replied with an open letter, explaining why he did not comply with the request.
After speaking with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump announced that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine would begin ‘immediately’. Meanwhile, Pentagon chief Peter Hegseth informed NATO defence ministers that the US is gradually withdrawing from Europe. These two announcements left EU leaders in shock and despair—but in reality, they present a historic opportunity for the continent.
United opposition parties have filed a motion of no confidence against Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico over his ties with Vladimir Putin and his pro-peace stance on the war in Ukraine. Fico, who survived an assassination attempt in May, has halted state-level weapon shipments to Kyiv and remains in constant conflict with Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Vladimir Putin has reportedly endorsed the Christmas ceasefire proposal by Viktor Orbán. Reflecting on the peace mission and Hungary’s EU Presidency, the Hungarian prime minister stated: ‘We have opened the door, and meaningful negotiations can now begin.’
After meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida on Tuesday and having a lengthy phone call with President Vladimir Putin of Russia on Wednesday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary travelled to Ankara, Türkiye to continue discussions about the potential peace in the Russo-Ukrainian war with Recep Tayyip Erdoğan of Türkiye this time.
One of the most pressing issues in enhancing the competitiveness of Europe is the need to optimize defence spending. Europeans now spend much more on defence in the wake of Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with ten European NATO members set to reach the 2 per cent of GDP spending threshold by the end of 2024. However, developing and acquiring modern weapon systems of cutting-edge technology demand an exponential level of spending for development and production, which can hamstring the capabilities of nation-states if they want to fit out their armies fully with domestically produced equipment, from building tools to jet fighters.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.
