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Orban argues in the letter that Trump's prospect of peace with Moscow means the EU should reopen direct diplomatic communication with Russia and begin "high-level" negotiations with China to find a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has said former President Donald Trump will quickly seek peace talks between Russia and Ukraine if he wins November's US presidential election and has developed "well-grounded plans" to do so. Orban announced that he received this information personally from Trump, after private discussions with the Republican candidate.
Under the circumstances, Orban has sent a private letter to EU leaders after consultations he had in Moscow and Beijing. Orban argues in the letter that Trump's prospect of peace with Moscow means the EU should reopen direct diplomatic communication with Russia and begin "high-level" negotiations with China to find a peaceful solution to the war in Ukraine.
Orbán also said in the letter that based on his recent discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the general observation was that the intensity of the military conflict will escalate radically in the future.
Orban's office declined to comment when contacted by the Financial Times, which has seen his letter. Trump's campaign team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
His trips to see Putin, Xi and Trump over the past two weeks while holding the next EU presidency have shocked his allies in the bloc and NATO.
Many fear that Orban's support for a peace settlement, while Russia still controls large swaths of eastern Ukraine, favors the Kremlin and undermines Western resolve to support Kiev's territorial integrity.
" We cannot expect any peace initiative from Trump until the election. However, I can say with certainty that immediately after his election victory, he will not wait until his inauguration, but will be ready to act as a peace broker immediately. He has detailed and well-founded plans for this," Orbán wrote in his letter to European Council President Charles Michel and other EU leaders.
This means the EU must anticipate the change in US policy, Orbán said, and either embrace the need for immediate negotiations between Russia and Ukraine or take more responsibility for funding Ukraine's defense.
JD Vance, the Republican senator from Ohio whom Trump picked on Monday as his running mate, used an opinion piece in the FT in February to call on Europe to take a bigger burden in supporting Ukraine.
"I am more than convinced that in the possible outcome of the victory of President Trump, the proportion of the financial burden between the US and the EU will change significantly to the disadvantage of the EU when it comes to the financial support of Ukraine ," he wrote. Orbán in his letter.
The Hungarian prime minister has long been the EU's most pro-Russian leader, criticizing Western sanctions against Moscow and military support for Ukraine, while calling for a ceasefire and the start of peace talks.
This contrasts with the EU's common position that it must help defend Ukraine and that only Kiev can decide when to open negotiations with Russia.
" Our European strategy in the name of transatlantic unity has copied the US pro-war policy," Orbán wrote.
He called on the EU countries to analyze the situation of supporting Ukraine, and to draw conclusions if it is worth pursuing this orientation.
"We have not had a sovereign and independent European strategy or political action plan until now. I propose to discuss whether the continuation of this policy is rational in the future" , it was further stated in Orban's letter.
According to the Hungarian leader, it is time to change the approach and think about starting peace negotiations.
" We can find a window of opportunity with a strong moral and rational basis to start a new chapter in our politics. . . [and] make an effort to reduce tensions and/or create the conditions for a temporary ceasefire and/or the start of peace negotiations ," Orban added.
Orbán's description of Trump's peace plan for Ukraine matches a policy document on the conflict written by two allies of the former president, who are expected to take top national security roles in his administration if he wins the November election in USA.
The plan by Keith Kellogg and Fred Fleitz of the America First Policy Institute proposed that the US continue to bolster Ukraine's defenses, but future military aid would require Kiev to participate in peace talks with Russia./ Adapted "Pamphlet" from "Financial Times"
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