By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent reporting from Budapest, Hungary
BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s prime minister says European Union leaders “have taken a big step towards a solution acceptable to all EU member states regarding the war in Ukraine.”
Viktor Orbán spoke Thursday on the sidelines of Hungary’s largest diplomatic gathering on record, bringing together some 47 heads of state and governments as well as other leaders in Budapest’s giant Puskás Aréna stadium.
Orbán stressed the “importance of a ceasefire as a first step” to ending Europe’s largest armed conflict since the Second World War.
He hopes that with Donald J. Trump soon, the White House peace forces in Europe could become a majority.
Brussels has condemned Orbán for visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin while Hungary holds the rotating EU presidency.
The prime minister, viewed as Putin’s closest ally within the EU, has denied using Hungary’s EU presidency to negotiate with Moscow.
Orbán, who several EU leaders have condemned for his perceived authoritarian style, urged more cooperation.
FOERCEST CRITICS
He faced his fiercest critics, including the EU’s European Council President Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, who also came to Budapest clearly uncomfortable shaking hands with him.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, the former Orbán-condemning Dutch prime minister, was also in Hungary, as many European nations are members of the military club.
In his speech opening the summit, Orbán made clear that whatever their differences, they should all realize that “Europe is in a difficult, complicated and dangerous situation because of the Russian-Ukrainian war.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was among those listening to Orbán, who refused to provide weapons to Ukraine. Zelenskyy indirectly questioned Orbán’s close ties with Putin.
At a separate press conference in Budapest, Zelenskyy said that those who “want Putin or want a ceasefire have never waged a war against him.”
Yet Zelenskyy acknowledged that during his recent visit to Kyiv, Orbán agreed to start “with a clean slate” with him.
And he thanked Hungary “for the great humanitarian support to Ukrainian refugees.”
NATO MEMBERSHIP
However, neither country has yet signed a bilateral agreement, as Hungary would stop Kyiv’s membership in the NATO military alliance. Hungary, a NATO member, could veto Kyiv’s entry.
Orbán, who also has close relations with Israel’s prime minister, warned leaders attending the summit that besides Ukraine, there looms “a threat of escalation in the Middle East.”
Additionally, he said that “conflicts in North Africa cause illegal migration that is once again approaching its peak in Europe.”
Orbán expressed concern that the global economy is heading “on fragmentation and blockages.”
Yet viewers may be forgiven for wondering whether relations have improved between Orbán and Zelenskyy: Hungarian state-run television and the prime minister’s live broadcast on his Facebook platform were cut off when the Ukrainian president started speaking.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday it will take up a closely watched case involving religious liberty and government funding, agreeing to hear a dispute over Colorado’s universal preschool program and its exclusion of a Catholic school.
President Donald Trump announced April 17 that his administration is preparing to release long-awaited government documents related to unidentified flying objects (UFOs) and unexplained aerial phenomena, signaling a renewed push for transparency on one of the most debated mysteries in modern history.
Israel entered one of its most solemn national observances Monday evening as sirens sounded across the country, marking the beginning of Memorial Day with a unified moment of silence to honor fallen soldiers and victims of terror.
President Donald Trump said Monday that the United States is unlikely to extend its current ceasefire with Iran if a comprehensive peace deal is not reached before the looming April 22 deadline, intensifying global attention on high-stakes negotiations set to resume this week.
British police on Monday confirmed the detention of two teenagers over an arson attack on a synagogue in London, the latest in a series of incidents targeting the Jewish community, as investigators examine possible links to Iran.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu publicly condemned the actions of an Israeli soldier who vandalized a Catholic religious icon in southern Lebanon, calling the incident “stunning” and “deeply saddening” to both himself and the overwhelming majority of Israelis.
The U.S. Navy’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, has redeployed to the Middle East following weeks of repairs after a fire aboard the vessel, according to Pentagon-linked reports and defense officials.