Orbán may launch 'mission 2.0' on Ukraine after Trump's calls
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (photo: Getty Images)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán may go on a new “peace mission” to Ukraine as early as December. This is facilitated by a large number of telephone conversations with US President-elect Donald Trump, reports Szabad Európa.
According to the media outlet, after the November 5 election, Trump and Orbán had several phone conversations. Orbán found himself in an exceptional situation, as it has never happened before that the US president-elect has called the Hungarian prime minister (whoever holds these positions) so often.
Moreover, only the first call was protocol. The rest, the last of which was last week, were devoted to specific issues.
What are Trump's interests
First of all, what Orbán thinks about the possibility of a quick end to the war in Ukraine. According to the source, Trump was interested in assessing Russia's ability to continue fighting and the resilience of Vladimir Putin's regime.
According to Orbán, based on the difference in resources, an immediate ceasefire should be achieved first. And only then should negotiations on a long-term peace begin. These ideas are quite close to Trump's promises to “end the war in 24 hours.”
“Peace Mission” 2.0
In a situation where there is a threat of anti-Ukrainian forces winning the elections in Romania (and in the future in the Czech Republic), it is probably easier to put pressure on President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, especially since things are not going well at the front, the newspaper writes.
According to a government source, in this situation, Orbán's “peacekeeping mission” 2.0 may begin in December. The details are not yet known. But most likely, during the tour, he will meet again with Zelenskyy, Putin, and Chinese President Xi Jinping. As for the timing, it is possible that the mission could be timed to coincide with the EU summit in Brussels on December 19.
After Hungary took over the EU chairmanship, Orbán went on a so-called “peace mission” in July. He visited Kyiv, Moscow, and Beijing, after which he met with Trump, who was still a candidate for the US presidency.
As a result of the mission, he handed over a “peace plan,” according to which the United States, Europe, China, and Türkiye could play a decisive role as mediators. He also called for a dialogue with Moscow and the restoration of diplomatic relations.
