BUDAPEST: Donald Trump鈥檚 biggest European fan, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orb谩n, predicted on Friday that a new US administration under Trump will cease providing support to Ukraine in its fight against Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion.
Orb谩n鈥檚 comments were a signal that Trump鈥檚 recent election could drive a wedge among European Union leaders on the question of the war.
Hungary鈥檚 leader hosted the second of two days of summits on Friday in the capital, Budapest, just days after Trump鈥檚 election victory. The war in Ukraine was high on the agenda for the gathering of the EU鈥檚 27 leaders, most of whom believe continuing to supply Kyiv with weapons and financial assistance are key elements for the continent鈥檚 security.
The nationalist Hungarian leader has long sought to undermine EU support for Ukraine, and routinely blocked, delayed or watered down the bloc鈥檚 efforts to provide weapons and funding and to sanction Moscow for its invasion. He has sought to use the summits to make his case to other leaders that they should rethink their commitments to the war-ravaged country.
In comments to state radio before Friday鈥檚 summit, Orb谩n, who is considered close to both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, reiterated his long-held position that an immediate ceasefire should be declared, and suggested that Ukraine has already lost its fight.
鈥淭he situation on the front is obvious, there鈥檚 been a military defeat. The Americans are going to pull out of this war,鈥� Orb谩n said.
The Hungarian leader has cast himself as the exemplar of some in the EU who are skeptical of providing indefinite support to Ukraine, especially in light of uncertainty over whether US assistance could evaporate under Trump.
He said Friday that Trump鈥檚 reelection had created a 鈥渘ew situation鈥� for Europe, and that the continent 鈥渃annot finance this war alone.鈥�
But numerous EU leaders made a point to downplay the risk of a shift in US policies drifting across the Atlantic into European capitals. Arriving at the summit, the EU鈥檚 top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said a new US administration wouldn鈥檛 lead Europe to change course.
鈥淲e cannot outsource our capacity of action. Whatever happens in the US, we have our interests, we have our values,鈥� Borrell said.
Italy鈥檚 hard-right leader, Premier Giorgia Meloni, who is aligned with Orb谩n on many issues but breaks with him sharply on Russia鈥檚 war, said: 鈥淎s long is there is a war, Italy is on the side of Ukraine.鈥�
Western support is crucial for Kyiv to sustain the costly war of attrition, but Trump鈥檚 repeated statements criticizing US aid, and his claims that he could bring the conflict to a rapid end, have led to uncertainty over how long the help will continue.
At a gathering on Thursday of European leaders in Budapest, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky objected to Trump鈥檚 claim that Russia鈥檚 war with Ukraine could be ended in a day, something he and his European backers fear would mean peace on terms favorable to Putin and involving the surrender of territory.
鈥淚f it is going to be very fast, it will be a loss for Ukraine,鈥� Zelensky said.
Despite Orb谩n鈥檚 attempts to throttle aid packages, EU leaders have largely found workaround solutions to any obstruction to providing Zelensky with assistance, and have been able to signal their commitment to supporting Ukraine in its fight, regardless of who occupies the White House.
Closing out the summit on Friday, European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen said the EU would 鈥渄iscuss with our American friends also the fact that Russia is not only a threat to Europe, but a threat to the global security as a whole鈥� in an effort to dissuade a new Trump administration from abandoning aid to Ukraine.
鈥淲e see that technology from China and Iran is used by Russia on the battlefield,鈥� she continued. 鈥淚t shows that the security of the Indo-Pacific and Europe are interconnected, and so are the European and the United States interests in this course.鈥�