Hungary鈥檚 Prime Minister Viktor Orban has told European leaders that Donald Trump is 鈥渞eady to act as a peace broker鈥� between Russia and Ukraine if elected president, according to a letter seen by Reuters, amid concerns across the continent that Trump would attempt to force Kyiv into ceding territory to Moscow.
Orban鈥檚 letter, addressed to European Council President Charles Michel and sent to all European Union leaders, was written in the wake of his controversial meetings with former President Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
鈥淚 can [鈥 surely state that shortly after his election victory, he will not wait until his inauguration, [Trump] will be ready to act as a peace broker immediately. He has detailed and well-founded plans for this," Orban wrote, according to Reuters.
The authoritarian Hungarian premier has sought to cast himself as a peacemaker in the conflict, but his stance is at odds with most EU leaders, who have pledged unequivocal support for Ukraine as it attempts to repel Russia鈥檚 military effort.
In his letter to those leaders, Orban said that during the meetings there was a 鈥済eneral observation鈥� that 鈥渢he intensity of the military conflict鈥� in Ukraine 鈥渨ill radically escalate in the near future.鈥�
Orban also hinted at Trump鈥檚 plans to potentially pare back aid to Ukraine if elected, saying: 鈥淚 am more than convinced that in the likely outcome of the victory of President Trump, the proportion of the financial burden between the US and the EU will significantly change to the EU鈥檚 disadvantage when it comes to the financial support of Ukraine.鈥�
Trump, who has a propensity to make sweeping pronouncements on foreign policy, said during a CNN town hall last year that, 鈥淚f I鈥檓 president, I will have that war settled in one day, 24 hours.鈥�
In last month鈥檚 CNN debate with President Joe Biden, Trump said that Putin鈥檚 terms for an agreement 鈥� which would include Ukraine ceding the four territories currently occupied by Russia 鈥� are 鈥渘ot acceptable.鈥�
But the former president, who is set to formally accept the Republican nomination at the party鈥檚 national convention later this week, has also criticized US military aid to Kyiv.
Orban 鈥� a rare, longtime ally of Trump in the EU 鈥� has undertaken what he has previously called his 鈥減eace missions,鈥� meeting Putin in Moscow on July 5 and Xi in Beijing on July 8. Last Thursday he met with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.
He also visited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv at the start of July, marking his first visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion began.
Orban called on EU leaders to try to find a 鈥渨indow of opportunity鈥� to usher in a 鈥渘ew chapter鈥� in EU policy in his letter, urging them to 鈥渕ake an effort to decrease tensions and/or create the conditions for a temporary ceasefire and/or start peace negotiations鈥� in the Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Hungary took over the rotating EU presidency last month, unveiling a slogan 鈥� 鈥淢ake Europe Great Again鈥� 鈥� that mimicked Trump鈥檚 2016 election motto.
But his visits with Putin, Xi and Trump have gone down poorly with EU lawmakers, who have accused Orban of vitally 鈥渕isrepresenting鈥� and 鈥渦ndermining鈥� the EU鈥檚 stance on foreign policy.
A letter signed by 63 European lawmakers, addressed to the three EU chiefs, said Orban had 鈥渃aused significant damage鈥� through his meetings.
鈥淚n his so-called peace mission, Prime Minister Orban deliberately left the impression that he was acting on behalf of the entire European Union, whereas in reality he has no authority to represent the EU or any other member state other than his own,鈥� the Members of European Parliament said.
The lawmakers called the meetings particularly damaging considering that Hungary currently holds the presidency of the European Council, saying Orban was guilty of 鈥渁busing鈥� the position that he assumed at the beginning of July.
EU lawmakers finished their letter by calling on the bloc鈥檚 three leaders, Charles Michel, Ursula von der Leyen and Roberta Metsola, to suspend Hungary鈥檚 voting rights in the European Council, arguing that past examples had shown that 鈥渕ere verbal condemnation鈥� of Hungary has 鈥渘o effect.鈥�
