Donald Trump’s announcement that he will meet Vladimir Putin in Budapest to discuss Ukraine is being seen as a significant blow to Europe. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, often criticised as Putin’s closest ally in the European Union, has long clashed with President Zelensky and opposed Western sanctions on Russia’s illegal invasion. Orban has repeatedly broken ranks with Nato and the EU, leaving Ukraine’s accession to the bloc blocked and accusing Kyiv of persecuting Hungary’s ethnic minority.
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Orban has maintained close ties with Trump, supporting him before his re-election and remaining loyal during his period out of office. He has become a favoured figure among US conservatives, speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference and hosting the summit in Budapest. Some of Trump’s policies, including legislation on gender, have drawn inspiration from Orban’s government. With the 2026 elections approaching, Trump has already endorsed the Hungarian leader, further elevating his international profile.
The summit positions Hungary, a country of just 9.5 million people, at the centre of global diplomacy, frustrating EU leaders who had hoped to see Orban replaced by pro-EU candidate Peter Magyar. Orban has long relished his role as Brussels’ “bad boy”, founding a pan-EU group of Eurosceptic parties, clashing with EU judges over anti-immigration policies, and meeting Putin personally last year. European diplomats emphasised that Orban does not represent the EU, yet his influence in the Ukraine peace process, coupled with Hungary’s energy ties to Russia, has undermined the bloc’s authority.
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The choice of Budapest for the summit also poses challenges for Kyiv. Ukraine’s 1994 Budapest Memorandum, in which it relinquished nuclear weapons for security guarantees, now appears increasingly tenuous. Hungary’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court, which has war crimes warrants out for Putin and Netanyahu, further isolates Kyiv. For Trump, the summit rewards Orban’s loyalty, advances his “Maga global” agenda, and irritates liberal European leaders, while positioning Hungary as a central actor in negotiations over Ukraine’s future.
