US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is ready to “immediately” act as a peace mediator in the war between Russia and Ukraine if elected in November, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a letter to EU leaders.
The letter, addressed to the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and shared with all EU leaders, It was drafted after Orban held talks with Trump, as well as with the leaders of Ukraine, Russia and China.
“I can (…) say with certainty that shortly after his electoral victory, he will not wait until his inauguration,” (Trump) “We will be ready to act as a peace broker immediately. We have detailed and well-founded plans for this,” Orban wrote.
The Hungarian nationalist leader, a long-time Trump supporter, made surprise visits to capitals over the past two weeks on a self-described “peace mission.” after Hungary took over the rotating EU presidency, angering its allies.
In the letter, Orban said that US President Joe Biden was “making immense efforts” to stay in the election race and suggested that “was unable to change the current pro-war policy of the United States.”
Orban has long been critical of European military support for Ukraine, in contrast to most of the allies backing kyiv’s war effort.
The Hungarian leader said that a Trump’s victory would shift the burden between the US and the EU regarding financial support for Ukraineto the detriment of Europeans.
“Our European strategy in the name of transatlantic unity has copied the US pro-war policy. Until now we have not had a sovereign and independent European strategy, nor a political action plan”he claimed.
“I propose to debate whether the continuation of this policy is rational in the future.”
Orban suggested “reopening direct lines of diplomatic communication with Russia” and maintaining high-level contacts with kyivas well as holding talks with China “on the modalities of the next peace conference.”
