According to local media reports, President of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik is currently in Moscow, where he is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Interpol issued a ‘red notice’ for Dodik after he left Bosnia and Herzegovina despite an active federal arrest warrant, having visited Serbia and Israel in the past week.
Budapest witnessed rare protests in recent days, as demonstrators rallied against what they describe as a ‘Pride-ban’—an amendment to the law on the right of assembly, which imposes stricter conditions on mass events that violate the child protection law. Among the speakers was the infamous German MEP Daniel Freund, who effectively admitted that Brussels has been working for years to oust Viktor Orbán’s government, with the current demonstrations being no exception.
The Hungarian Institute of International Affairs presented its comprehensive study on the potential consequences of fast-tracking Ukraine’s accession to the European Union at a panel discussion organized by Mathias Corvinus Collegium. Experts agreed that the EU must identify alternative means of supporting Ukraine’s stabilization and long-term development beyond full membership.
Poles increasingly view support for Ukraine as a burden on the nation, with public sentiment shifting rapidly in a negative direction. This is clearly reflected in the rising popularity of Sławomir Mentzen, the presidential candidate of the right-wing Konfederacja, who is firmly opposed to the war and to unconditional support for Kyiv.
Four US soldiers stationed in Lithuania went missing on Tuesday during a training exercise near the Lithuanian–Belarusian border. On Wednesday NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte claimed that the troops had been killed; however, the US Army and the Lithuanian Armed Forces stated that the search is still ongoing.
Released on the Lunar New Year, the Chinese animated movie Ne Zha 2 has become a true success story. The film recently broke into the ranks of the global box office elite, surpassing Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and is now on the verge of sinking James Cameron’s Titanic.
Since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, Hungary’s energy security has faced constant and varied threats—from strikes on Russian gas pipelines to the suspension of transit through Ukraine. However, if the current ceasefire agreement is implemented effectively, Budapest could finally experience stability in this regard.
‘To suggest swapping Hungary for Ukraine simply because the Hungarian government does not fall in line on critical issues and instead maintains a consistent, principled position is not only impossible but reckless. It would trigger a series of developments that could ultimately lead to the EU’s collapse—a risk that already looms large.’
After the second round of peace talks in Saudi Arabia, Washington announced that Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire in the Black Sea and on each other’s energy infrastructure. If upheld, the deal could mark the first concrete step toward a broader truce.
US Chargé d’Affaires ad interim Robert Palladino appears determined to restore US–Hungary relations following the turbulent tenure of his predecessor, David Pressman. The senior American diplomat began the week with high-level bilateral meetings—first with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó, followed by political director to the Hungarian Prime Minister Balázs Orbán.
German outlet Deutsche Welle has published an interview with Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar which, in essence, serves as a propaganda piece. The questions appear crafted to be favourable from the outset, while crucial details about Magyar’s political trajectory—both before and after his rise—are conveniently omitted. Our takeaways follow.
As tensions rise in Bosnia and Herzegovina, European lawmakers are urging EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to impose sanctions on Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik. However, one of the 28 signatories of the letter sent to Kallas, Slovenian MEP Irena Joveva, expressed concern that such efforts could be blocked at the European Council level by Dodik’s long-time ally, Viktor Orbán.
‘If Brussels clings to this policy [on Ukraine], Europe will further weaken itself and become increasingly irrelevant on the global stage,’ State Secretary of the Cabinet Office of the Prime Minister Balázs Hidvéghi warned in an interview with Hungarian Conservative.
Zsolt Zsólyomi, a 26-year-old Hungarian national charged with second-degree murder in Miami, Florida, could become the first person executed under a new immigration bill signed by Governor Ron DeSantis on 13 February. According to local authorities, Zsólyomi, who had been on immigration enforcement’s radar for overstaying his visa, murdered two elderly men in the Miami area.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vetoed a joint conclusion on Ukraine during Thursday’s EU summit, for the second time in March. He stated that he will continue to block every EU position on Ukraine until the results of Hungary’s public vote on Kyiv’s EU membership are known.
On his way to Thursday’s EU summit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated in an interview that the European Union lacks the strength to impose its vision on the war in Ukraine. ‘The EU is isolated,’ he added, emphasizing that Brussels stands alone on the global stage with its pro-war stance.
Alan J Kuperman, in a rare opinion piece published by The Hill, breaks with the Western narrative on the causes of the war in Ukraine, acknowledging that Donald Trump is right about most of the factors behind the conflict. This ultimately means Hungary was right as well, as the Hungarian government’s position on the war closely aligns with that of the US president.
In a recent video posted on X, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán outlined the financial burden the war in Ukraine has placed on Hungary and estimated the annual cost per household if Kyiv were to join the European Union. He urged Hungarians to make their voices heard, referring to the public vote initiated by the government on Ukraine’s EU accession.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini was awarded the Hunyadi János Award by the Foundation for a Civic Hungary on Wednesday, with the honour presented by Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán. In his speech at the ceremony in Brussels, Orbán urged patriotic forces to reclaim the sovereignty of nation-states, which he argued had been illegally confiscated by the European Union in recent years.
Chaos erupted in the Hungarian Parliament on Tuesday after opposition MPs ignited smoke flares in protest against the ban on the Pride march. The events bore a striking resemblance to those that unfolded in Serbia just weeks earlier, raising suspicions of a coordinated effort to destabilize right-wing governments in the region.
‘The current course [of the EU] leads straight to disintegration,’ Balázs Orbán pointed out in his keynote address at an event at Mathias Corvinus Collegium (MCC) in Budapest, focusing on the recently published joint report by MCC and the Polish Ordo Iuris Institute on the urgent need for EU reform. Orbán’s speech was followed by a panel discussion featuring the report’s authors, Jerzy Kwaśniewski of Ordo Iuris and Rodrigo Ballester of MCC, alongside Director General of the Center for Fundamental Rights Miklós Szánthó.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin agreed on a partial ceasefire and the immediate launch of a new round of talks to end the war in Ukraine. The current deal applies to energy and infrastructure on both sides. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó welcomed the news, warning the EU not to undermine the peace process.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated that Hungary firmly rejects Ukraine’s fast-track EU accession, especially if it comes at the expense of the Transcarpathian Hungarian community. For the past ten years, Kyiv has gradually curtailed the rights of national minorities, including Transcarpathian Hungarians.
Hungarian officials signal potential legal consequences over USAID funding in Hungary. Government commissioner András László, after meeting US State Department officials, said many projects raise suspicions of political interference and legal actions will be examined. Meanwhile, Fidesz parliamentary leader Máté Kocsis proposed a constitutional amendment allowing the expulsion of dual citizens if their activities threaten Hungary’s sovereignty.
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are set to hold talks on Tuesday over a potential ceasefire deal between Ukraine and Russia, which Kyiv has already accepted, while Moscow remains cautious. As peace talks progress, the positions of the involved parties are shifting rapidly: Ukraine no longer views the lifting of Western sanctions on Russia as a red line, and some European leaders are now openly discussing the normalization of relations with Moscow.
Liu Shaoang secured third place in the 1500m final on the first medal day of the ISU World Short Track Championships in Beijing on 15 March, earning China its first medal at the competition. Along with his brother, Liu Shaolin Sándor, he previously represented Hungary on the world stage, making sports history by winning the country’s first-ever gold medal at the Winter Olympics in 2018.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán emphasized the timeless nature of Hungarian freedom in his speech marking the anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849, while also delivering sharp criticism of the European Union and its imperial ambitions. He outlined 12 demands for Brussels, including a call for a ‘Union without Ukraine’.
Corruption appears to be among the ‘common European values’ often touted by mainstream parties in the European Parliament as yet another probe shakes the EU’s legislative institution. Initial reports suggest that around 15 former and current MEPs may be involved in a bribery case linked to Chinese telecom giant Huawei.
Hungary has lifted its veto on renewing sanctions against Russian individuals after striking a last-minute deal to remove four people from the list. The decision comes as the US intensifies pressure on Russia to accept an immediate 30-day ceasefire deal, which Ukraine has already agreed to.
Speaking before the parliament of Republika Sprksa, President Milorad Dodik announced a new constitution aimed at increasing the entity’s independence from Bosnia and Herzegovina’s federal institutions and the high representative. In his speech, Dodik also declared a ‘war for the future’ of Republika Srpska.