Orban claims that Trump would end all American military assistance to Ukraine

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has made startling claims regarding former US President Donald Trump’s intentions if he returns to the White House, suggesting that the 2020 election loser would terminate all American military assistance to Ukraine.

Orban, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, made these assertions during a recent interview, highlighting Trump’s purported commitment to end the conflict in Ukraine swiftly.

According to Orban, Trump has pledged not to provide any financial support for the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, asserting that this move would effectively compel Ukraine to cease hostilities due to its inability to sustain itself without external aid.

Orban’s statements come amid escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine and growing concerns over the future of US involvement in the region.

Trump’s alleged stance on Ukraine was discussed during a meeting between the former president and Orban at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s Florida estate.

The meeting, which included a tour of Trump’s residence, a dinner attended by former First Lady Melania Trump, and an hour-long discussion with senior aides, occurred just days after Trump snubbed his wife in a speech after he secured a Super Tuesday victory.

Trump praised Orban as a “fantastic leader” while poking fun at criticism of the Hungarian prime minister’s self-proclaimed illiberal tendencies as the two men met at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump’s critics have expressed alarm over his apparent affinity for autocratic leaders like Orban and Putin, with concerns mounting that a potential return to power could signal a shift away from traditional US alliances and democratic principles.

Orban’s visit to Mar-a-Lago has raised eyebrows in Europe, where leaders are already grappling with the implications of Trump’s foreign policy decisions.

Orban’s government has long advocated for closer ties with Trump and his allies, positioning Hungary as a potential intermediary between Europe and the US.

Despite criticism of his administration’s democratic record and close relations with Moscow and Beijing, Orban sees Trump’s return to office as a chance to bolster Hungary’s standing on the world stage.

While Trump’s exact intentions regarding Ukraine remain unclear, Orban’s assertions have reignited debate over US foreign policy and its implications for global security.

As the November election approaches, the international community is closely monitoring developments in Washington and assessing the potential impact of a Trump presidency on key geopolitical issues.

Pope Francis said in an interview that Ukraine, facing a possible defeat, should have the courage to negotiate an end to the war with Russia and not be ashamed to sit at the same table to carry out peace talks.

“I think that the strongest one is the one who looks at the situation, thinks about the people and has the courage of the white flag, and negotiates,” Francis said, adding that talks should take place with the help of international powers.

Ukraine remains firm on not engaging directly with Russia on peace talks, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said multiple times the initiative in peace negotiations must belong to the country that has been invaded.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, its war against Ukraine has had a disastrous impact on civilian life, killing thousands of civilians, injuring many thousands more, and destroying civilian property and infrastructure.

Russian forces committed a litany of violations of international humanitarian law, including indiscriminate and disproportionate bombing and shelling of civilian areas that hit homes and healthcare and educational facilities.

Some of these attacks should be investigated as war crimes. In areas they occupied, Russian or Russian-affiliated forces committed apparent war crimes, including torture, summary executions, sexual violence, enforced disappearances, and looting of cultural property.

Those who attempted to flee areas of fighting faced terrifying ordeals and numerous obstacles; in some cases, Russian forces forcibly transferred significant numbers of Ukrainians to Russia or Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine and subjected many to abusive security screenings.

Russian forces’ countrywide, repeated attacks on Ukraine’s energy and other critical infrastructure appeared aimed at terrorizing civilians and making their lives unsustainable, which is a war crime.

The war for Ukraine’s survival is a war over whether an increasingly small, deeply interdependent world can have order, and whether war criminals win or lose.

Reminiscent of Neville Chamberlain’s “Peace in Our Time” speech after England agreed to permit the Nazis’ annexation of the Sudetenland at the Munich Conference in 1938, many Republicans in the GOP-controlled House of Representatives oppose aid to Ukraine.

Putin said that “if Western defense supplies are terminated tomorrow, Ukraine will have one week left to live as it runs out of ammunition.” 

“Support for Ukraine’s independence and survival as a nation is the most important issue and foreign policy goal of most of our lifetimes,” said New Hampshire lawyer Christopher Cole.