The Atlantic Council draws attention to the fact that it is US President Donald Trump who can force Hungarian leader Viktor Orban to unblock Ukraine's accession to the European Union.
Points of attention
- The US sanctions on Russian oil companies have added economic pressure on Hungary, giving Trump leverage to influence Orban's decisions regarding Ukraine.
- The Atlantic Council suggests that Trump's intervention could be pivotal in ending Budapest's blockade of Ukraine's EU accession, highlighting the importance of US involvement in European affairs.
Trump has influence over Orban
As journalists managed to find out, on November 7 in the United States, the Hungarian leader will do everything possible to strengthen his relations with Trump.
Not long ago, Orban was quite confident, as he prepared a meeting between American leader Trump and Russian dictator Putin in Budapest.
The head of the Hungarian government viewed the potential negotiations as evidence of his own diplomatic influence on the international stage.
But the Trump-Putin talks have been canceled, leaving Orban without that trump card. In addition, the US has imposed sanctions on Russian oil companies, and he has said that Hungary is now facing economic collapse.
Orban intends to seek an easing of these sanctions, although he has already received a rebuff from the head of the White House once.
In the current situation, Trump has the opportunity to increase pressure on Orban to allow Europe to take important steps as Ukraine's main partner.
This could be an ideal opportunity to end Budapest's blocking of Ukraine's EU accession process.
