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.
Miklós Szánthó of the Budapest-based Center for Fundamental Rights hailed the upcoming Budapest Peace Summit between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia as a chance to end the Ukraine war and showcase Hungary’s global relevance. He argued the event disproves claims of PM Orbán’s isolation and highlights the importance of defending Hungary’s sovereignty.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, fresh from nearly an hour-long private meeting with Vladimir Putin in Beijing, announced he will deliver a ‘very serious message’ to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday. Fico’s role echoes Viktor Orbán’s earlier peace missions, though the Slovak leader emerges at a moment when Putin insists no peace is possible without addressing NATO expansion.
French President Emmanuel Macron’s remark calling Vladimir Putin ‘an ogre at our gates’ marks a dangerous shift in Europe’s war rhetoric. Once confined to online echo chambers, dehumanizing language is now openly used by Western leaders—laying the ground for escalation, while exposing the blatant hypocrisy of those who once condemned such tactics when used by Donald Trump.
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.’