‘Let’s not fear Putin’s defeat and the destruction of his regime. Let’s instead work together to destroy what he stands for. It is his fate to lose,’ Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said almost exactly one year ago at the Munich Security Conference in Germany. Since then, the world has changed dramatically—along with its geopolitical realities. The President of the United States is now Donald Trump, who announced on Wednesday that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will ‘start immediately.’

Following a long and productive phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump stated on his Truth Social platform that both leaders agreed on the need to stop the ongoing loss of millions of lives in the war, adding that he and Putin share a belief in ‘common sense’. ‘We agreed to work together very closely, including visiting each other’s nations,’ Trump highlighted. In the same post, he wrote: ‘I have asked Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Director of the CIA John Ratcliffe, National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, and Ambassador and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff to lead the negotiations, which I feel strongly will be successful.’

According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, during the hour-and-a-half-long conversation, Putin invited Trump to Moscow for a personal meeting to further discuss peace efforts and bilateral relations.

Shortly after speaking with Putin, Trump also called Volodymyr Zelenskyy. After their conversation, the Ukrainian leader wrote in a post on X that they had discussed ‘opportunities to achieve peace’ and expressed Ukraine’s readiness to work closely with the US team. ‘I am grateful to President Trump for his interest in what we can accomplish together,’ Zelenskyy wrote.

‘Together with the US, we are charting our next steps to stop Russian aggression and ensure a lasting, reliable peace,’ he added. ‘As President Trump said, let’s get it done,’ concluding that they had ‘agreed to maintain further contact and plan upcoming meetings.’

Giving Peace a Chance…Finally

And just like that, after 1,084 days of war, hundreds of thousands of dead soldiers, civilians, and children, billions of dollars spent, and countless missed opportunities for peace, diplomatic channels between Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow are seemingly open. Notably, Trump managed to achieve this just 23 days after taking office on 20 January.

It has also been 1,084 days since the Hungarian government first advocated for peace in Ukraine. As the only country in the Western community that consistently stood for a negotiated settlement from day one, Hungary has remained steadfast in its efforts to facilitate dialogue, maintain open communication channels between the warring parties, and create an environment conducive to peace talks.

For this, Hungary was relentlessly attacked, marginalized, and stigmatized in European politics by the pro-war majority, led by former US President Joe Biden and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Now, Biden is gone, and after Trump’s announcement, von der Leyen should feel completely isolated in Brussels.

Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó was the first Hungarian official to react to these developments, expressing optimism that the Trump–Putin talks could bring Europe closer to peace. ‘For three years, we have been living in the shadow of war, and for three years, we have been hoping that the war will end,’ the foreign minister wrote in a Facebook post.

Hungary has made several significant efforts to promote peace, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán launching two peace missions during Hungary’s EU presidency in the second half of 2024—one in early July and another in December, following Trump’s historic return to office. By then, it was already evident that Washington’s policy on Ukraine would shift dramatically in 2025, aligning with Hungary’s long-standing stance on the war—a position once dismissed as pariah-like by the pro-war European establishment. In December Orbán also proposed a Christmas ceasefire, which the Kremlin endorsed but Zelenskyy swiftly rejected.

The End of a Ninety-Year Era

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Defense Peter Hegseth outlined key aspects of Washington’s vision for peace in Ukraine. Speaking at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Hegseth dismissed most of the key elements of Zelenskyy’s so-called ‘victory plan’, which included promised NATO membership, increased Western arms shipments, and the deployment of a non-nuclear strategic deterrence package on Ukrainian soil. Instead, Hegseth adopted a far more pragmatic approach—one that had been notably absent from such meetings over the past three years.

‘The idea that Ukraine will return to its pre-2014 borders is unrealistic,’ Hegseth stated bluntly. ‘Chasing this illusionary goal will only prolong the war and cause more suffering.’

‘The US has effectively announced its gradual withdrawal from Europe’

Hegseth also dismissed the prospect of Ukraine joining NATO as an unattainable goal in the upcoming negotiations. Furthermore, he made it clear that if any peacekeeping mission were to take place in Ukraine, the United States would not participate, it would not fall under NATO’s aegis, and it would not be linked to Article 5 guarantees.

In addition, the Pentagon chief reiterated Trump’s demand that European countries increase their defence spending to at least 5 per cent of their GDP. Hegseth emphasized that the US will no longer tolerate NATO’s unequal defence policies, which have created dependence on Washington. He stressed that the United States is facing significant challenges on its own borders and will focus on addressing those issues rather than continuing to prioritize Europe’s security needs.

With that, the US has effectively announced its gradual withdrawal from Europe, ending 90 years of growing military presence on the continent.

Missing the Bigger Picture

Hegseth’s speech, alongside Trump’s announcement, sent shockwaves through EU leaders and Russia hawks alike. There were two type of reactions: Western European countries—such as Germany, France, and the UK—along with Ursula von der Leyen, clung to their old narratives, seemingly oblivious to the seismic shifts of recent months. They continued to insist that Ukraine must have a place in NATO as a full member and that only Ukraine can determine its future.

The other reaction came from the most ardent Russia hawks, including politicians from the Baltic states, Finland, and other historically anti-Russian countries, who condemned the US decision as a ‘betrayal’, claiming that Washington had abandoned Europe and Ukraine in their fight against Russia ‘for democracy’. Some even called for the immediate deployment of EU troops to Ukraine and went as far as referring to the US as an ‘adversary’ rather than an ally.

‘By pulling the US out of Europe and creating the conditions necessary for negotiations, Trump is, in fact, helping Europe’

What both groups fail to realize is that by pulling the US out of Europe and creating the conditions necessary for negotiations, Trump is, in fact, helping Europe—a lot.

With Russia’s military spending surpassing the combined defence budgets of all European nations in 2024—reaching 13.1 trillion rubles (approximately $462 billion when adjusted for purchasing power parity)—, European countries now have no choice but to take the necessary steps to strengthen their own armed forces and defence capabilities.

While the situation may seem alarming at first glance from a European perspective, it actually presents a historic opportunity: the chance for a genuine common European defence to finally take shape.

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