Vladimir Putin chairs an online meeting on the situation in Belgorod, Kursk and Bryansk regions following an incursion of Ukrainian troops in the course of Russia-Ukraine conflict.

On the Highway to Hell

There are a number of conventional weapons whose appearance in US adversaries’ hands can cause serious damage to American interests all around the world. It is not difficult to imagine the threat of hypersonic anti-ship weapons, barely interceptable by contemporary air defence weaponry, on commercial ships, not only on the Red Sea. Arming let’s say Mexican drug cartels with modern anti-tank equipment could also seriously hamper US efforts to block the flow of drugs into the country.

Ukraine Refuses to Renew Gazprom Contract, Raising New Concerns Over Hungarian Energy Security

Ukraine’s decision not to renew its contract with Gazprom has raised concerns in many about how Russian gas will reach Europe in the future. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov indicated that Russia could still meet European customers’ needs through the Turkish Stream pipeline, but at a higher cost than before. This latest move by Ukraine poses yet another threat to Hungary’s energy security.

‘Trying to rewrite history is stupid’ — An Interview with Former Bild Editor-in-Chief Kai Diekmann

‘If we try to rewrite history, we’re going to get a wrong idea of why things went wrong and why things happened the way they happened,’ former Bild editor-in-chief Kai Diekmann remarked in an interview with Hungarian Conservative. In the discussion, Diekmann delved into the dangers of cancel culture, the state of media freedom in the Western world, and the importance of Viktor Orbán’s peace mission.

More EU Aid for Ukraine as Kyiv Advances in Kursk

On 13 August the European Commission disbursed nearly €4.2 billion to Ukraine under the First Pillar of the Ukraine Facility. During the four-year plan, the EU aims to provide up to €50 billion in grants and loans for the country’s recovery, reconstruction, and modernization. Meanwhile, Kyiv has made gains in Kursk, which, according to the Institute for the Study of War, is a pivotal moment in the war with the potential to change its trajectory.

Viktor Orbán delivers his speech in Tusnádfürdő, Transylvania on 27 July 2024. To his left, Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Assembly Zsolt Németh, to his right László Tőkés, President of the Hungarian National Council of Transylvania (EMNT)

Lecture of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the 33rd Bálványos Summer Free University and Student Camp

‘The essence of the grand strategy for Hungary—and now I will use intellectual language—is connectivity. This means that we will not allow ourselves to be locked into only one of either of the two emerging hemispheres in the world economy. The world economy will not be exclusively Western or Eastern. We have to be in both, in the Western and in the Eastern. This will come with consequences. The first. We will not get involved in the war against the East. We will not join in the formation of a technological bloc opposing the East, and we will not join in the formation of a trade bloc opposing the East.’

Finnish President Urges Ukraine to Negotiate Peace Without Preconditions

Finnish President Alexander Stubb stated in a recent interview that a point has been reached where starting negotiations regarding the war in Ukraine can no longer be postponed. Stubb’s statement echoes the proposals of Viktor Orbán, which the Hungarian Prime Minister submitted to European Council President Charles Michel following his peace mission in early July.

Ukrainian FM Shows Willingness to Negotiate with Russia After Meeting Chinese Counterpart

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that Ukraine is ready to negotiate with Russia if Moscow acts in good faith, following his meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. Kuleba’s visit to China sheds new light on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s peace mission: Orbán could play an important role in organizing the next peace conference, where Kyiv would welcome Russia’s participation.