Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has broken his silence after learning of plans harboured by US Republican frontrunner Donald Trump to end the war in Ukraine.
Mr Orban travelled to Florida last week to meet the former US President, who is seeking to return to the White House this November.
Following their meeting, Mr Orban claimed Mr Trump has “a very clear vision” when it comes to the ongoing war in Ukraine, started by the unlawful invasion carried out by Russia.
In an interview with Hungarian TV channel M1, Mr Orban claimed the Republican frontrunner would bring the conflict in eastern Europe to an end by no longer giving “a single penny” to Ukraine.
He said: “That’s why the war will end, because it’s obvious that Ukraine cannot stand on its own two feet. If the Americans don’t give money and weapons along with the Europeans, the war will end.
“And if the Americans don’t give money, then the Europeans won’t be able to fund this war alone. And then the war will end.”
Ukraine is already struggling with military aid as Republicans in the House of Representatives have been blocking a bipartisan Senate agreement on foreign aid for months – which includes billions worth of support for Kyiv, as well as Israel and Taiwan.
In mid-February, following the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the frontline city of Avdiivka, incumbent US President Joe Biden lashed out at US lawmakers for their failure to approve emergency aid for the country.
The White House said in a statement after a call between Mr Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky last month: “Soldiers had to ration ammunition due to dwindling supplies as a result of congressional inaction, resulting in Russia’s first notable gains in months.”
Mr Orban, who between December and early February also came to loggerheads with Brussels for blocking aid to Ukraine, also fuelled fears in Europe that a victory by Mr Trump at the presidential election in the US later this year may mean the end of the principle of reciprocal support among NATO allies.
He claimed: “If Europeans are afraid of the Russians or want to have a high level of security in general, they have to pay for it.
“Either by building their own army and their own equipment, or if they use the Americans for this, by paying the Americans a price, the price of security. So he is speaking directly and clearly.”
Mr Trump and Mr Orban’s meeting was criticised by Mr Biden, who did not have a face-to-face with the Hungarian Prime Minister.
Following the trip across the pond of Mr Orban, Mr Trump praised him in a video, saying: “There’s nobody that’s better, smarter or a better leader than Viktor Orban. He’s fantastic. He’s a noncontroversial figure because he said, ‘This is the way it’s gonna be,’ and that’s the end of it. He’s the boss.”
