During a briefing on August 11, U.S. President Donald Trump said that he consulted with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán about who could “win” in the war unleashed by Russia against Ukraine. Such remarks emerged in the context of discussing the global configuration of forces in the crisis around Ukraine.
Trump described Orbán as “his good friend” and recalled that the Hungarian leader told him about “the greatness of Russia” and its wars against “Hitler and Napoleon” as part of a broader conversational field about world politics.
“He (Orban – editor) said: ‘Russia is a huge country, and they conquered their country and conquered their lives through wars. They fight. That’s what they do.’ He said: ‘China will defeat you with trade. Russia will defeat you with war.’ This was very interesting.”
– Donald Trump
During the same briefing, Trump noted that a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska, scheduled for August 15, would be preliminary. It was also noted that the U.S. administration expects a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as part of further contacts.
Donald Trump also spoke about the idea of “land-for-land” exchanges between Ukraine and Russia, again repeating his thoughts on possible formats for ending the conflict.
“Russia has occupied part of Ukraine’s territory. They have occupied very valuable territory. We will try to return part of this territory.”
– Donald Trump
He also expressed concern about the Ukrainian leader’s statement endorsing a constitutional approval of territorial exchanges, noting that any steps must have appropriate consent.
“I mean, he has permission to fight and kill everyone, but he needs approval for a land swap, because there will be some land exchange. I know this through Russia and through conversations with everyone. For the good, for Ukraine’s good. Okay, not bad.”
– Donald Trump
According to him, after a meeting with Putin he will know whether a deal between Ukraine and Russia to end the war is possible, after which a planned call with European leaders is scheduled.
Hungary’s Policy Toward Ukraine
On June 27, 2025, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán described Ukraine as an “undefined entity” and stated that Ukraine’s membership in the EU could mean a “state of war” between the EU and Russia, as well as a conflict on Hungarian territory.
Orbán has repeatedly voiced critical remarks about Ukraine, calling it a “buffer state” and claiming that it “poses a very serious threat to Hungary.”
Around Ukraine, the Hungarian government launched in August – the first half of the year distributing clips claiming that the Ukrainian mafia is involved in arms and drug trafficking, and that Ukraine’s entry into the EU would lead to the mafia infiltrating Hungary. The clips feature Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Hungary also sent letters to citizens urging opposition to Ukraine’s membership in the EU during the advisory referendum held from April to June 2025. Official data show turnout of about 2 million Hungarians, about 29% of registered voters.
Moreover, the government continued its stance of blocking the opening of negotiating clusters regarding Ukraine’s accession to the EU since the start of 2025, arguing that Ukraine’s membership would be a burden for both the bloc itself and Hungary.