During a meeting at the White House on Friday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conveyed to President Donald Trump that Ukraine’s chances of prevailing in its conflict with Russia would require a “miracle.” As they sat together in the Cabinet Room, President Trump expressed confidence, stating, “we’re going to get that war ended in the not-too-distant future.” Originally, a second meeting between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin was planned to take place in Budapest, hosted by Orbán. However, the meeting was canceled last month shortly after it was announced, as progress in negotiations stalled.
Orbán highlighted a significant difference in approaches between Europe and Hungary regarding the conflict. He suggested that Ukraine should consider conceding territory to Russia as a pathway to peace, claiming that Hungary and the United States were the only “pro-peace” governments. “All the other governments prefer to continue the war,” Orbán stated, adding that many believe Ukraine could achieve victory, which he deemed a misunderstanding of the situation.
In response, President Trump queried, “So you would say that Ukraine cannot win that war?” Orbán replied, “A miracle can happen.” President Trump has shown varying perspectives on Ukraine’s potential for victory, reflecting a complex relationship with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which has seen its share of ups and downs.
In September, after meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, Trump made the surprising pronouncement that he even thought Ukraine could win on the battlefield. ‘I think Ukraine, with the support of the European Union, is in a position to fight and win all of Ukraine back in its original form,’ Trump said at the time.
But weeks later, Trump shifted his position, suggesting such a victory would be tough. He expressed more optimism for a Ukrainian win when things were especially sour with Putin. On Friday, Trump said the Putin meeting in Budapest didn’t happen because Russia wasn’t ready to end the war.
‘The basic dispute is they just don’t want to stop yet,’ the president answered. ‘And I think they will,’ Trump also offered. Last month, Trump put more pressure on Russia to stop the fighting by upping sanctions. He sanctioned two of Russia’s largest energy companies, a move that complicated his relationship with Orbán due to Hungary continuing to purchase Russian fuel.
On Friday, Trump was sympathetic to Orbán’s plight, noting how Hungary is landlocked. ‘We’re looking at it,’ the president said. ‘Because it’s very difficult for him to get the oil and gas from other areas, as you know, they don’t have the advantage of having sea, it’s a great country, it’s a big country, but they don’t have sea, they don’t have the ports.’
Trump then slammed other European countries that were still buying oil from Russia. ‘And as they know, I’m very disturbed by that, because we’re helping them, and they’re going and buying oil and gas from Russia,’ Trump said.
