Washington and Kyiv have finally come to an agreement on the joint extraction of critical resources, including rare earth minerals from Ukraine’s reserves. While the exact terms of the deal remain unknown, it could represent a significant step towards reducing American dependence on Chinese imports of the most essential resources of the future.

Hungarian EU presidency, under the slogan ‘Make Europe Great Again’, offered real solutions to the challenges the European Union faces. Nearly three months into 2025, Danube Institute and the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs organized a conference to analyse the impact of these fundamental initiatives and address the challenges that lie ahead.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that Russia is ready to cooperate with American companies regarding the country’s vast reserves of rare earth metals and minerals. The move weakened Ukraine’s negotiating position, as a similar deal is reportedly in the making between Washington and Kyiv, with only the final details left to be finalized.

‘As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, the world faces an entirely new reality. A reality where Russia and Putin are no longer portrayed as the greatest evil. A reality where diplomacy is once again regarded as the primary tool for resolving disputes between nations. A reality where the end of the conflict could be within arm’s reach. And a reality where, unfortunately, Ukraine and Europe appear increasingly irrelevant.’

Friedrich Merz’s CDU was declared the winner of Germany’s early elections on Sunday, securing 28.5 per cent of the vote. However, the true victor of the election is undeniably the AfD, which nearly doubled its support and reshaped the long-standing political landscape of the EU powerhouse.

Hungarian Magnitsky Act, the appointment of a special envoy to Washington to collect evidence of USAID’s meddling in Hungary, and Europe’s largest tax cut—these are just a few of the vast initiatives Viktor Orbán announced in his annual State of the Nation speech. Highlighting Hungary’s political resilience, the Hungarian PM declared that 2025 would mark not just survival but victory, describing it as a ‘breakthrough year’.

Germany is set to hold parliamentary elections on Sunday, 23 February, which, given the country’s role in Europe, could redefine the future of the entire continent. After an extremely intensive campaign, Germans have two choices: punish the mainstream for years of flawed governance that has resulted in an unprecedented internal security crisis, or continue down a destructive path.

Chinese animated film Ne Zha 2 has just become the highest-grossing animated movie in history, aiming to surpass James Cameron’s Avatar as the most successful film of all time. With stunning visuals and a narrative deeply rooted in Chinese mythology and philosophy, Ne Zha 2 has also emerged as a symbol of patriotism and national pride—at the expense of Captain America.

Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) 2025 has just kicked off, with US Vice President JD Vance headlining the first full day of the event. Besides Vance, political director of the Hungarian prime minister Balázs Orbán also took to the stage on Thursday. The conference will conclude with US President Donald Trump’s speech on Saturday.

Western European leaders were quick to rally behind Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after Donald Trump called him a dictator. However, those same leaders remained completely silent when, almost exactly one year ago, former US President Joe Biden accused Viktor Orbán of building a dictatorship in Hungary

Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó described his meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent in Washington as ‘very positive’. The two officials addressed bilateral trade and investment, as well as sensitive topics such as the Biden administration’s sanctions on a senior Hungarian government official and the reinstatement of the double taxation avoidance agreement between the two countries.

‘It’s the reality, and someone had to say it,’ remarked Sumantra Maitra, who was among the audience during US Vice President JD Vance’s speech in Munich, in an interview with Hungarian Conservative. The leading analyst of NATO strategy discussed the future prospects of the US–EU partnership within NATO, with a particular focus on the strategic importance of Greenland.

The United States and Russia held the first round of Ukraine peace talks in Saudi Arabia, after which both sides agreed to work on improving relations and advancing toward a resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised the discussions, stating that the parties had not only listened but truly heard each other.

As more than 60 NGOs appeal to Brussels to step in and fill the gap left by the halted US foreign assistance following Donald Trump’s decision to shut down USAID, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vows that the globalist network will find no safe haven in Europe.

The chancellor candidates from Germany’s four largest parties clashed in a fiery debate on Sunday. While the mainstream parties remained stuck in their old, demonizing narratives, AfD’s Alice Weidel displayed energy and determination, reinforcing why Viktor Orbán called her and her party the ‘future of Germany’.

A recent report published by MCC Brussels exposed the European Commission’s opaque funding of NGOs and media outlets that promote its political agenda. The Brussels-based think tank has joined calls for the establishment of a European DOGE—an investigative watchdog similar to the one co-chaired by Elon Musk in the United States, which is currently working to dismantle deep-state strongholds in Washington.

‘Pro-war, anti-Trump, and frustrated European leaders are coming together with the clear intention of obstructing a peace agreement,’ Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stressed on Monday. He was referring to the emergency summit hosted by Emmanuel Macron in Paris, where the most influential European countries are gathering to respond to US-led peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine.

Donald Trump’s team is scheduled to meet the Russian delegation on Monday in Saudi Arabia for the first round of peace talks aimed at ending the war in Ukraine. Following the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, where European and Ukrainian participation in the talks remained uncertain amid conflicting statements, EU leaders are set to convene in Paris for an emergency summit. Meanwhile, on Sunday Zelenskyy arrived in the United Arab Emirates.

For years the EU dismissed peace talks as premature. When Hungary pushed for negotiations, it was vilified. Now, with Donald Trump launching talks without them, Brussels is scrambling to claim a role it once rejected.

Reuters chose to illustrate the impact of Trump’s halt on US foreign assistance by focusing on Hungarian opposition media—effectively admitting that these outlets are dependent on such funding, thereby undermining their claims of independence. The article takes readers inside the editorial room of Átlátszó, which is now struggling to secure new donors following the shutdown of USAID funding.

Arriving in Germany for the Munich Security Conference, US Vice President JD Vance criticized European mainstream parties for marginalizing right-wing forces such as Germany’s Alternative für Deutschland, arguing that this undermines democracy and freedom of speech. His remarks came just days after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán hosted AfD co-chair Alice Weidel in Budapest for a historic meeting.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán delivers a hard blow on EU leadership following Donald Trump’s announcement that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine will begin immediately. As Washington appears to be sidelining the EU in the talks, Orbán attributes this to Brussels’ failed diplomacy and weak leadership.

With just ten days remaining until the most significant elections in Germany’s post-WWII history, the country has been struck by yet another terror attack committed by an Afghan migrant. According to police, the 24-year-old asylum seeker drove a car into a group of pedestrians in Munich, injuring at least 28 people. In response, Alternative für Deutschland’s Alice Weidel called for a ‘migration turnaround’.

After weeks of protracted negotiations, Herbert Kickl’s FPÖ and the Austrian People’s Party have failed to reach a coalition agreement. With Kickl returning his mandate, Austria now faces four possible paths forward, including the prospect of an early election.

After speaking with both Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Donald Trump announced that negotiations to end the war in Ukraine would begin ‘immediately’. Meanwhile, Pentagon chief Peter Hegseth informed NATO defence ministers that the US is gradually withdrawing from Europe. These two announcements left EU leaders in shock and despair—but in reality, they present a historic opportunity for the continent.

Roberta Metsola and Ursula von der Leyen are at the centre of a growing scandal involving undisclosed EU millions channelled to pro-EU media to shape the narrative ahead of the 2024 European elections. The case bears striking similarities to the USAID controversy and further erodes public trust in institutions and the media.

Viktor Orbán hosted Alice Weidel, co-chair of the German right-wing party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), in Budapest on Tuesday, becoming the first sitting prime minister to officially receive one of the party’s leaders. While the two addressed key challenges facing Europe, progressives—both online and in person—protested the meeting, labelling Orbán and Weidel as fascists.

Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index has once again ranked Hungary as the most corrupt member state of the EU, placing it alongside Burkina Faso and Cuba for the third consecutive year. However, this time, we exactly know the reason why. Our commentary.

US president Donald Trump imposed 25 per cent tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports to the United States on Monday, a decision that will heavily impact the European Union’s economy. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen promised proportionate countermeasures, signalling a broader trade war between Washington and Brussels in the near future.

Police Scotland have ruled out third-party involvement in the case of the missing Hungarian twin sisters in Aberdeen. After the bodies of two women were found in the water following three weeks of intensive search efforts, Henrietta and Eliza Huszti’s father told Hungarian media that he does not believe his daughters committed suicide, suggesting the possibility of murder.