The United States and NATO allies have expressed strong disapproval of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s recent clandestine meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. This meeting occurred just before Orban’s visit to the Florida residence of former U.S. President Donald Trump, the anticipated Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election.
Orban’s unsanctioned visit to Russia, which has been engaged in a full-scale invasion of Ukraine since February 2022—a move opposed by NATO—has been perceived as a defiant act by a leader of a NATO member country. Despite this, NATO allies have stated that Orban’s actions will not impede Ukraine’s eventual membership in the alliance.
Orban, who assumed the six-month rotating EU Presidency in July, secretly traveled to Moscow to discuss ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine without informing EU or NATO allies. This visit happened just before the July 9-11 NATO summit in Washington, hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden.
Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national-security adviser, emphasized the U.S. stance, stating, “Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine. Any actions taken without Ukrainian consent or support are inconsistent with our policy.” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis and German Chancellor Olah Scholz also criticized Orban’s Moscow visit, stressing that he does not represent EU or NATO views.
Orban’s opposition to Ukraine’s NATO bid has been a focal point during the summit. Despite his actions, NATO members reaffirmed that Ukraine’s path to membership remains “irreversible.” Orban is reportedly heading to Florida to meet Trump after the summit. Trump has suggested he could negotiate a deal between Ukraine and Russia if elected, although specifics have not been provided.
During his previous presidency from 2017 to 2021, Trump frequently criticized NATO members for not meeting the defense spending target of 2% of GDP and even suggested the possibility of the U.S. withdrawing from the alliance. At a recent campaign rally, Trump reiterated his grievances, stating that the U.S. was unfairly shouldering most of NATO’s financial burden.
Hungary has also cast doubts on Ukraine’s NATO membership, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto arguing that it could weaken the alliance due to differing viewpoints among members.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg stated that the potential Orban-Trump meeting does not diminish the summit’s agreements. He reassured that NATO remains crucial for U.S. security and strength, noting that the alliance has significantly increased defense spending targets, with 23 members now meeting the 2% GDP benchmark, up from 9 members when Trump left office.
Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
