After Kyiv expressed readiness for an immediate ceasefire following US–Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia, EU leaders issued statements suggesting—or even claiming—that they had always been working toward peace. However, as the lone voice advocating for peace within the EU for a long time, Hungary knows precisely that Brussels has done quite the opposite over the past three years. Our commentary.
After meeting in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the American and Ukrainian delegations have announced in a joint statement issued through the US State Department that Ukraine is ready to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire with Russia. ‘The ball is now in Russia’s court,’ US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters after the meeting.
‘What I see, and what I hope for, is that peace is getting closer, because Donald Trump is doing what he said he would do. This is surprising in world politics, especially in European politics, and especially in Brussels,’ Menczer said on the TV programme Szigorlat on the opposition-aligned channel ATV.
Donald Trump is reportedly considering relocating some 35,000 US soldiers from Germany to Hungary. Viktor Orbán has long advocated for strengthening European defence and establishing a joint European army, while also fully meeting Hungary’s NATO commitments on defence spending. At the same time, Hungary remains the only EU country that shares the United States’ position on Ukraine. But how likely is this plan to materialize?
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has warned of escalating financial and political risks posed by continued European support for Ukraine, criticizing EU strategies and cautioning that Hungary cannot bear the economic burden of an extended conflict.
Can Donald Trump get what he wants, an operable ceasefire? Is it a manageable conflict between the US and Ukraine? What did Europe misunderstand in the present security situation? And what will be Britain’s role in the new world order? We talked to Lord David Frost, Britain’s former Chief Negotiator for Brexit.
‘Europe is marching itself off a cliff. Hungary must avoid marching with them,’ political director to the Hungarian prime minister Balázs Orbán said in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech on Wednesday. As EU leaders gather in Brussels today, pro-war leaders have doubled down on their rhetoric against peace, threatening to undermine fragile peace talks.
‘While the current US administration has acknowledged that Ukraine is neither militarily nor economically capable of overpowering Russia in a prolonged conflict, Berlin still regards Western involvement in Ukraine as a success. From the outset, however, Western analysis significantly underestimated Russia’s capacity for resilience.’
In his Joint Address to Congress, President Trump laid out what he had achieved so far in the short time into his second term, such as pushing illegal crossings down to record lows and eliminating wasteful spending by the government. In his overzealous protest, Democrat Congressman Al Green had to be removed from the Chamber by force.
‘Now, that the new US administration is very clearly pursuing a different policy on Ukraine compared to its predecessor’s, Europe’s attitude should adapt too. The fact that European leaders’ messages after Friday do not signal any change in the EU’s policy demonstrates that Europe is unable or unwilling to realize that…the only way forward is to end the war on the Eastern front as soon as possible.’