The Hungarian Institute of International Affairs’ first EastSec Forum examined Europe’s shifting security landscape amid the Russo–Ukrainian war. Speakers, including HIIA President Gladden J Pappin and Zachary Paikin of the Quincy Institute, stressed Hungary’s growing mediating role, the collapse of post–Cold War security structures, and the need to rebuild guarantees for lasting peace.
‘Pokrovsk’s encirclement emerged from these dynamics not as a sudden catastrophe but as the predictable outcome of long-developing trends.’
‘By being responsive to changes at the system level, multilateralism can contribute to maintaining peace during the shifts in the balance of power that we are currently living through. Europe’s peoples would benefit from it, as would their governments’ reputation and diplomatic standing in the world.’
US President Donald Trump hailed Viktor Orbán as ‘a great man and a strong leader’ as he hosted the Hungarian prime minister at the White House. During their joint press conference, the two leaders discussed energy cooperation, potential sanctions exemptions, and the war in Ukraine, with Orbán reaffirming his support for Trump’s efforts to bring the conflict to an end.
‘Our world has changed, the international order has transformed, and every actor is trying to adapt. With the end of unipolarity, the hegemony of liberal foreign policy also ended…Free trade has given way to protectionism; moralizing, value-centric diplomacy has given way to transactional realism. However, this recognition apparently eludes the European Union.’
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is set to meet US President Donald Trump in Washington next week, amid debates over new US sanctions on Russian oil. The visit follows Italian newspaper La Repubblica’s claim that Orbán called Trump’s decision a ‘mistake’—a claim disproven after the full recording was released, showing he made no such criticism and spoke only about Hungary’s energy needs.
It frequently turns out FT’s reporting is questionable at best, complete nonsense at worst. Practically fanfiction, even.
Hungarian FM Péter Szijjártó said new US sanctions on Russia’s energy sector have not yet impacted Hungary and stressed that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary may discuss the issue with President Trump next week. He praised Trump’s role in past and current peace efforts, claiming that he brings hope for resolving crises in Ukraine and the Middle East.
The Kremlin has indicated that plans for a Trump–Putin peace summit in Budapest remain on track, even after Washington sanctioned Rosneft and Lukoil. Putin’s envoy Kirill Dmitriev said the sides are ‘quite close’ to a deal on Ukraine, welcoming Ukrainian President Zelenskyy’s recent shift toward accepting a ceasefire along current frontlines.
A ceasefire in Ukraine is possible only through intensified pressure on Russia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said at the EU summit in Brussels, calling for tougher sanctions, advanced air defense systems, and continued financial aid.