Ukraine could stop receiving aid from the West under the influence of an alliance led by newly elected US President Donald Trump, writes The Independent newspaper. Despite this development, though, Trump has found interest in elements of the so-called “Victory Plan” of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
“A surprising trinity of Donald Trump, Hungary’s right-wing prime minister Viktor Orbán and Pope Francis could spell the end to hopes for continued support for Ukraine,” The Independent reported.
As the article pointed out, in recent years, Hungary has been practically alone among Western countries in wanting to end the conflict in Ukraine, and the only figure who shared Budapest’s position was Pope Francis. However, the views of the new American president and the leadership of Hungary coincide on a number of issues, including peace in Ukraine, so new opportunities for cooperation have emerged.
“The Pope, along with Hungary, has called for a ceasefire and talks ‘to break the cycle’ of war and achieve peace,” the article stated.
Following Trump’s victory in the US elections, Orbán said that his country’s isolation is over and that a growing number of EU leaders are cautiously switching to a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. This growing pressure on Zelensky will eventually force him to begin negotiations directly with Russia, even after promising to never speak with the Kremlin.
“Last week at the European Political Community summit, Mr Orbán boasted of how ‘the world is changing’ with Mr Trump re-elected, while renewing his demands for a Ukrainian ceasefire,” noted the British newspaper. “The clash with Mr Zelensky, who was at the summit, saw the Ukrainian leader note that the Hungarian prime minister is the one NATO member state leader to oppose Ukraine’s membership of the defence alliance.”
Speaking to The Independent, Hungary’s ambassador to the Vatican, Eduard Habsburg-Lothringen, said: “During Donald Trump’s first presidency, Hungarian-American political relations were at their peak, with dialogue and negotiations taking centre stage in resolving conflicts that threaten world security.”
“Following the decision of the American electorate a few days ago, we really have good hope that Hungarian-American political cooperation will return to its peak: we share similar views on peace, illegal immigration and the protection of families. I believe there is a better chance than ever that peace will finally return to Ukraine after almost a thousand days of war.”
Hellbound and Down 