Re-elected Trump would act as Russia-Ukraine peace broker: Hungarian Premier Orban

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Donald Trump is ready to act “immediately” as a peace broker in the Russia-Ukraine war if he is elected in November, said Hungarian Premier Viktor Orban, who the met US Republican presidential candidate at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida last week.

Orban sent a letter to the heads of other European Union countries, briefing them on his recent foreign visits he made that angered other leaders in the 27-member bloc.

Orban's visits to Ukraine, Russia, China, and the US were touted as a “peace mission” aimed at brokering an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine, which continues for more than two years. He also visited Azerbaijan to attend a meeting of the Organization of Turkic States, in which Hungary has observer status.

"I can surely state that shortly after his election victory, he will not wait until his inauguration, [Donald Trump] will be ready to act as a peace broker immediately. He has detailed and well-founded plans for this," Orban said in the letter.

Hungary, which assumed the six-month rotating EU presidency on July 1, argues that Orban conducted the visits not on behalf of the EU but solely in his capacity as the country's prime minister.

Orban is the first European leader to publicly support Trump's bid for the forthcoming November presidential election.

He said US President Joe Biden was “making immense efforts” to remain in the electoral race, but suggested he was “not capable of modifying the current US pro-war policy.”

"Our European strategy in the name of transatlantic unity has copied the pro-war policy of the US. We have not had a sovereign and independent European strategy or political action plan up to now," Orban said.

He suggested reopening direct lines of diplomatic communication with Russia. "I propose discussing whether the continuation of this policy is rational in the future," the Hungarian leader said.

The West, led by the US and EU, has supported Ukraine against Russia through military, economic and military means.