Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán vetoed joint conclusion on continued military support for Ukraine during Thursday’s emergeny European Council summit. According to Orbán, the European Union is becoming increasingly isolated with its pro-war position, which also undermines peace talks.
Hungary’s President, upon the recommendation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, has appointed Chairman of the 4iG Group Gellért Jászai as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary for the development of international business relations to promote Hungary’s economic interests abroad.
‘Europe is marching itself off a cliff. Hungary must avoid marching with them,’ political director to the Hungarian prime minister Balázs Orbán said in response to French President Emmanuel Macron’s speech on Wednesday. As EU leaders gather in Brussels today, pro-war leaders have doubled down on their rhetoric against peace, threatening to undermine fragile peace talks.
However, the ruling is not as bad for the Trump administration as the headline makes it sound: it only dictates that contractors be paid for their jobs already completed, totalling around $2 billion in expenses. The decision was close, a 5–4 split among the justices.
All USAID contracts in Hungary have been terminated after Hungarian Government Commissioner András László met with the agency’s newly appointed head, Peter Marocco, in Washington. László’s task is to investigate USAID funding channelled to Hungarian NGOs and media outlets, aiming to curb foreign influence ahead of the 2026 parliamentary elections.
The rotation of Hungarian soldiers deployed in Kosovo has started, with 280 new soldiers replacing their counterparts in a gradual process, according to a press release by the Ministry of Defence. Hungary has been taking on leadership roles in NATO’s KFOR mission in the Balkan country for decades.
In his Joint Address to Congress, President Trump laid out what he had achieved so far in the short time into his second term, such as pushing illegal crossings down to record lows and eliminating wasteful spending by the government. In his overzealous protest, Democrat Congressman Al Green had to be removed from the Chamber by force.
Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated that the Trump administration is open to reviewing and repealing the sanctions and retaliatory measures imposed on Hungary by former US president Joe Biden. In their first in-person meeting, Szijjártó and Secretary of State Marco Rubio also discussed strategic cooperation in the energy and defence sectors.
Seven Hungarian companies have been included in the Financial Times’ FT1000 list of Europe’s fastest-growing firms, with solar energy provider A1 Solar securing an impressive 12th place, highlighting Hungary’s growing presence in the European market.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is travelling to Paris to meet French President Emmanuel Macron for bilateral talks on Ukraine, as European leaders prepare for a decisive emergency summit on Thursday. While Europe has attempted to signal its readiness to fill the void left by Donald Trump’s halt on all military aid to Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy appears to prefer Washington’s support.
Bryan Lieb, who is in contention to become the next US Ambassador to Hungary, has met with a number of high-ranking figures in the Hungarian administration during his most recent visit to Budapest, including State Secretaries Tristan Azbej and Zoltán Kovács, as well as Minister Tibor Navracsics.
Senior US diplomat Robert Palladino will assume leadership of the US Embassy in Budapest as Chargé d’Affaires from 7 March. However, as stated in the embassy’s announcement, Palladino’s mandate is temporary, leaving the race open for the successor to former US Ambassador David Pressman—who will face the enormous task of repairing US–Hungary relations, which were severely damaged by Joe Biden’s envoy.
The Hungarian Foreign Ministry’s plane was denied landing in Sarajevo following a decision by Bosnian Defence Minister Zukan Helez. Helez cited Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s continued support for Milorad Dodik, leader of Republika Srpska. Dodik was sentenced to one year in prison last week on politically motivated grounds.
US President Donald Trump has moved to halt all military aid to Ukraine following a heated clash with his Ukrainian counterpart in the Oval Office on Friday. The decision comes as European leaders prepare to meet on Thursday to determine the EU’s strategy, with an overwhelming majority favouring continued military support over peace negotiations.
Hungary maintains regular dialogue with the US administration as it advocates for peace in Ukraine, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó stated, while warning of irreconcilable differences within the EU regarding the continuation of the war.
Hungary’s former Minister of Finance Mihály Varga was officially sworn in as the new Governor of the Hungarian National Bank on Monday, pledging to serve the interests of the nation during his six-year term starting this week.
The Brutalist, the film about a Jewish Hungarian artist who flees to the US from the Holocaust, did not win Best Picture at the 2025 Oscars, as most Hungarian people most likely would have liked to see. Instead, Anora, a film about a Russian American stripper was awarded in the category. However, Adrien Brody playing the Hungarian protagonist in The Brutalist won the Best Actor award.
‘Although Hamas claimed that Ariel and Kfir were killed in an Israeli airstrike, the IDF revealed that the two little boys did not die of malnutrition and were apparently murdered. Ben Shapiro highlighted in his opinion article: “Hamas mutilated the bodies to make it look as though they were not, in fact, beaten or strangled to death. Remember, they were taken by Gazan civilians.”’
Ahead of the upcoming EU summit, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has called on Brussels to abandon military escalation in Ukraine and instead initiate peace negotiations, advocating a diplomatic strategy inspired by US President Donald Trump.
Hungary has initiated an extensive inquiry into the financial activities of the United States Agency for International Development, aiming to reveal the recipients of its funds within the country and to dismantle what officials describe as a deeply embedded international corruption network.
‘Hungarian Minister for National Economy Márton Nagy recently visited Bulgaria and met with President Rumen Radev, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications Grozdan Karadjov, Minister of Economy and Industry Peter Dilov, and Minister of Tourism Miroslav Borshosh. The meeting marks a significant step forward in bilateral relations.’
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine travelled to Washington, DC to sign the agreement that would create a co-owned fund between the US and Ukraine that would manage Ukraine’s rare earth minerals. However, the meeting came to a premature end, as President Trump asked Zelenskyy to leave after a tense discussion in front of the media, cancelling their scheduled lunch and joint press conference.
At the Peace Through Strength conferences hosted by the Center for Fundamental Rights in Budapest, the distinguished guests discussed the new geopolitical realities brought on by the second Trump administration. They have put a special emphasis on the Hamas–Israeli war, and the attacks on the religious freedom of Jews and Christians alike around the world.
Hungary’s Opening to the East strategy has been one of the country’s most significant economic achievements over the past 15 years, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó. Speaking in Budapest, he stressed that Hungary rejects an economic cold war and has greatly benefited from East–West cooperation.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has outlined his government’s ambitious plan to restructure Hungary’s tax system with families at its core. In a radio interview, he reaffirmed his commitment to boosting birth rates through tax benefits while pledging decisive action against inflation. He also addressed international affairs, domestic security, and social policies, including measures against drug trafficking and gender ideology in schools.
The Danube Institute hosted an event dedicated to free speech in the UK and Brexit titled ‘Renewing UK Politics: Conservative Challenges and the Road to Prosperity’. The panel featured Senior Researcher Guy Dampier and Managing Director Dr Radomir Tylecote from the London-based conservative think tank Prosperity Institute, as well as Visiting Fellow Doug Stokes from the Danube Institute.
In a groundbreaking medical development, Hungary has successfully administered its first CAR-T cell therapy to two children with leukaemia at the South-Pest Hospital Centre. This cutting-edge immunotherapy, which genetically modifies a patient’s own immune cells to fight cancer, marks a significant step forward in paediatric oncology.
US President Donald Trump has expressed approval of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s possible visit to Washington on Friday to sign a US–Ukraine economic partnership agreement. Calling it a ‘major deal’, Trump emphasized its significance, particularly regarding rare minerals and broader economic cooperation.
Multiple news outlets were able to demonstrate that, as of late February 2025, if a user said the word ‘racist’ to Apple’s voice note feature, it often first transcribed it as ‘Trump’ before correcting itself to the actual word. Apple has responded to the controversy, saying they are aware of the issue and fixing the bug.
Just an hour ago, independent candidate Călin Georgescu, who had won the first round of the presidential elections in Romania, which was subsequently suspended by the Romanian Constitutional Court without any evidence, was arrested without prior notice.