[Ukrainian] President Volodymyr Zelensky said during a press conference on Feb. 23 that it was “dangerous” that members of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s team are spreading disinformation about the rationale for the start of the war to members of U.S. President Donald Trump’s orbit.
“I know that there are people from this Hungarian leader who have contact with people in President Trump’s orbit, and are constantly raising questions… in regards to not expanding NATO into eastern Europe,” Zelensky said, criticizing Kremlin talking points that NATO was at fault for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Orban, known for his close ties with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Trump, has openly criticized EU aid for Ukraine and obstructed sanctions against Moscow.
Hungarian government insiders revealed that Trump sought Orban’s opinion on strategies to end the Ukraine war multiple times after Trump’s victory in the 2024 presidential election.
In February 2024, Orban said that Ukraine should be left as a “buffer zone” between Russia and the West, with allies giving the country security guarantees but not accepting it into the EU or NATO.
Trump has himself previously criticized former President Joe Biden for provoking Russia’s invasion, claiming Ukraine’s potential NATO membership had long been a significant concern for Moscow. “I could understand their feelings,” he said, referring to the country that launched the deadliest war in Europe since World War II.