Benzinga - by Navdeep Yadav, Benzinga Staff Writer.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said he would “call back” former President Donald Trump to enforce “peace” in Ukraine.
What Happened: In an interview with ex-Fox News host Tucker Carlson on X, Orban urged a renewed security pact between Russia and Ukraine that excludes the possibility of Ukraine returning to Crimea and joining NATO.
Orban proposed that the West should broker a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin to ensure Ukraine’s security without the return of Crimea or Ukraine’s NATO membership.
Trump shared a short clip from Carlson’s interview with Orban on his social media platform Truth Social and wrote, “Thank you Viktor Orbán!”
In the video, Carlson asked Orban if “he was in charge of NATO” what would be his next step in Ukraine. “Peace,” Orban replied.
“Immediately call back Trump. That’s the only way out. You can criticize him for many reasons. I understand the older discussion, but you know, the best foreign policy of the recent several decades belongs to him. He did not initiate a new war. He treated nicely the North Koreans, Russians, and even the Chinese,” he added.
Orban, who has often been criticized for undermining Western sanctions against Russia, feels Ukraine is on the brink of losing the war due to being outnumbered by Russian forces. He sees the return of Crimea, which Russia annexed in 2014, as “totally unrealistic.”
Ep. 20 Hungary shares a border with Ukraine. We traveled to Budapest to speak with the country's prime minister, Viktor Orbán. pic.twitter.com/LOzpMrQNIz— Tucker Carlson (@TuckerCarlson) August 29, 2023
Why It Matters: Orban’s call for a new security deal between Russia and Ukraine, excluding the return of Crimea and Ukraine’s NATO membership, comes amidst speculation about Russia’s expectations for a potential Trump win in the 2024 U.S. elections and the consequent decrease in U.S. support for Ukraine.
Fear of Trump’s possible return as President has also spurred Ukrainians to fortify their domestic arms industry amid the ongoing Russia war.
Trump himself has previously voiced that the U.S. should broker peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and has even offered to lead a delegation to negotiate a peace deal between the two nations.
Read Next: Ukrainian Front-Line Soldiers Fear Powerful Russian Bombs: ‘The Enemy’s Advantage In The Air’
Photo via Shutterstock
© 2023 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.