After Putin call, Trump rang Hungary's Orban over Ukraine's EU membership
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban (right) is a close ally of US President Donald Trump (left), while also being a constant thorn in the EU's side and supportive of Russia.
WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump called Viktor Orban on Aug 18 following talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and European leaders to discuss why the Hungarian prime minister was blocking Ukraine's accession talks with the European Union, according to people familiar with the matter.
The call grew out of
discussions among Mr Trump and a contingent of European leaders gathered at the White House to discuss ways to end Russia's war on Ukraine.
At a certain point they asked Mr Trump to use his influence on Mr Orban to pressure the right-wing populist to drop his opposition to Ukraine's EU membership bid, the people said.
Ukraine has been seeking to join the political and economic bloc as part of a package of security guarantees designed to keep Russia from additional territorial grabs if a truce is implemented to end the war, which has stretched over three years.
On the call with Mr Trump, Hungary also expressed interest in hosting a next round of talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Zelensky. Following Mr Trump's discussions on Aug 18, the US president announced that he was seeking a leader-level summit between Russia and Ukraine, followed by a trilateral meeting that he would also attend. The timing and location for that are still unclear.
The people who detailed the conversation between Mr Trump and Mr Orban asked not to be named discussing private deliberations.
Mr Orban, a close Trump ally, is widely seen as an inspiration for the US president's Make America Great Again movement and right-wing populists around the world. He's been a constant thorn in the EU's side, taking his country in an authoritarian direction. Hungary has consistently given Russia diplomatic cover and protection against EU sanctions, while obstructing aid to Ukraine.
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The spokesperson for Mr Orban's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The call occurred after hours of discussion between Mr Trump, Mr Zelensky and a half dozen European leaders who had rushed to the Ukrainian leader's side in Washington to make the case for a unified approach to the peace process. The gathering occurred days after the US president's own
meeting last week with Mr Putin in Alaska.
It was in that context that Mr Trump made two separate calls. One was to Mr Putin. The second one, reported for the first time now, was to Mr Orban and came after EU leaders held an additional, unscheduled meeting in the Oval Office.
Mr Orban didn't confirm the call, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt declined on Aug 19 to say whether Budapest was under consideration to host the Putin-Zelensky summit. Multiple locations are being eyed for the meeting.
On Aug 19, Mr Orban took to Facebook and posted a message that indicates he heard the request on EU membership but didn't plan to budge.
'Ukraine's membership in the European Union does not provide any security guarantees,' he said. 'Therefore, linking membership with security guarantees is unnecessary and dangerous.' BLOOMBERG
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