Orbán Claims Budapest as Unique Venue for Trump-Putin Meeting
On Friday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán proudly stated that Budapest has become “essentially the only place in Europe today” where President Donald Trump can meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. He emphasized that this is largely because Hungary stands out as a “pro-peace country.”
In an interview with Hungarian state radio, Orbán highlighted, “For three years, we are the only country that has consistently openly, loudly and actively advocated for peace.”
He even proclaimed on social media, “Hungary is an island of peace!”
On Thursday, President Trump mentioned during a “very productive” phone call that he had agreed to meet with Putin in Budapest, although the exact date is yet to be decided.
“At the end of the call, we agreed to hold a meeting of senior aides next week. The first US meeting will be led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and various other individuals will be named. The location of the meeting will be determined later,” Trump elaborated.
He continued, “President Putin and I will then meet at an agreed location in Budapest, Hungary, to see if it is possible to end this ‘disgraceful’ war between Russia and Ukraine.”
However, Orbán’s notion of “peace” seems to include a significant amount of opposition to supplying arms and support to Ukraine. He often critiques other European nations as warmongers to sustain his stance. He has also expressed resistance to granting Ukraine EU membership.
In September, when Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky raised concerns about Hungarian drones entering Ukrainian airspace, Orbán dismissed the issue, stating he had no grounds to object because he views Ukraine as not being a “sovereign state.”
“I believe what the minister says, but let’s say it actually flew a few meters over there. So what? Ukraine is not an independent country. Ukraine is not a sovereign state. Ukraine is financed by us, and Western countries are giving it money and weapons,” he remarked.
Moreover, there are reasons for Ukrainians to be wary of Hungary, especially with Trump and Putin’s summit set to occur there, given Orbán’s close ties to Russia.
While maintaining a solid relationship with President Trump, Orbán’s administration has voiced concerns that US pressures for economic separation from China would cross a “red line.” Hungary’s trade minister has reaffirmed the country’s solid ties with China, stating: “We have no intention of abandoning them.”
Friday also saw Budapest hosting a symposium titled the “China-Hungary Symposium on National Governance,” celebrating the release of Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s latest speech and publication.
Deputy Speaker of the Hungarian Parliament, Sander Fazekas, expressed enthusiasm, saying, “President Xi Jinping’s vision of building a community with a shared future for humanity reminds us that the challenges of the 21st century can only be met through international cooperation.”
Budapest evokes a bittersweet sentiment for Ukrainians, who recall the 1994 negotiations where Ukraine surrendered its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees. Many believe these assurances were rendered meaningless when Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, and again with the full-scale invasion in 2022.
Orbán is likely accurate in stating few places in Europe would permit Putin to speak freely, especially given his status with an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court for war crimes in Ukraine.
As a signatory to the ICC treaty, Hungary is technically bound to arrest Putin; however, Orbán has hinted at withdrawing from that treaty altogether. Peter Szijjarto, Hungary’s Foreign Minister, confirmed on Friday that Putin would be permitted to enter Budapest and leave without fear of arrest.
“There is no need for any consultation with anyone. We are a sovereign nation here. We will welcome him with respect, we will provide hospitality and we will provide him with conditions to negotiate with the president of the United States,” Szijjarto stated during a news conference.
