Prime Minister of Hungary to meet with Trump week after his trip to Putin - Bloomberg
Photo: Viktor Orbán (Vitaii Nosach, RBC-Ukraine)
Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán will meet with Donald Trump in Florida on July 11, a week after his meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow, Bloomberg reports.
As noted by the agency, the visit underscores concerns that the Hungarian Prime Minister acts as an intermediary between Putin and Trump.
During Trump's first term, he and Putin demonstrated sympathy towards each other, which often drew bipartisan criticism. Recently, the Republican leader stated that he believes he could persuade Putin to end the war against Ukraine if re-elected for a second term.
Orbán will head to Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence after the NATO summit in Washington. His visit to Moscow was a central topic of discussion at the meeting, where other allies pledged additional air defense support to Ukraine.
According to one Bloomberg source, Trump did not ask Orbán to lay the groundwork for any peaceful deal between Ukraine and Russia. The person described the visit as an informal meeting.
This week, Orbán also visited China's President Xi Jinping after a trip to Kyiv earlier this month.
Scandalous Hungarian presidency in the EU
Hungary took over the presidency of the European Union on July 1. EU officials criticized Orbán's trips, stating they could undermine the bloc's positions on global issues among its 27 member states.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Orbán "made it clear when he came to Moscow that he didn't go there on behalf of NATO."
"Different NATO allies interact with Moscow in different ways," he added.
Orbán and Trump forged close ties when Orbán visited Mar-a-Lago in March. Trump gave him a tour of his estate, dined with Melania Trump, held an hour-long meeting with senior aides, and performed with a band playing Roy Orbison songs.
President Joe Biden used this meeting during a subsequent political rally in Philadelphia, stating Orbán "doesn't think democracy works" and "wants a dictatorship."
The Biden administration criticized Orbán for his friendly relations with Putin and for legislation in Hungary that, according to the State Department, could "intimidate and punish" critics of Orbán's government.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungary wrote a letter to EU leaders after his trips to Ukraine, Russia, and China. Orbán argues that Europe should "launch" a peaceful initiative regarding Russia's war against Ukraine without waiting for the US.
