Hungary and the Art of Being Useful to Washington
As the Trump administration reshapes transatlantic relations, Hungary has a unique opportunity to position itself as a key player in the new order.
As the Trump administration reshapes transatlantic relations, Hungary has a unique opportunity to position itself as a key player in the new order.
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 business and government leaders are ramping up efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into the economy. Discussions between the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and government officials highlighted AI’s potential to enhance business efficiency, while new collaborations in the defence sector will focus on AI-driven technological advancements.
‘On the day the US temporarily halted military aid to Ukraine, Kellogg delivered a speech at CFR in Washington, DC. He emphasized that Ukraine had several opportunities to sign the US–Ukraine $500 billion Minerals Deal, including during his visit to Kyiv on 19 February and during Zelenskyy’s last trip to Washington, which is unlikely to be remembered as a successful diplomatic effort.’
‘There is a historic chance for US–Hungary relations to peak, and it depends in no small part on the two leading players. Even though Hungary is a member of the EU and NATO, in the last two decades, American Democratic administrations have been explicitly hostile towards it…With the US president behind him, Orbán could be much more effective in strengthening his conservative agenda in Brussels, which until now has been an uphill struggle.’
‘The starting point is that the European Union is facing a deep crisis, more than ever, because it’s increasingly bureaucratic, increasingly centralized, increasingly authoritarian, and less and less competitive….And since sooner or later you will have a reform of the treaties, our idea was to be ready to participate in this debate. How do we do that? With this report, which contains two scenarios.’
‘The final assessment in terms of the policy of appeasement would be that at the diplomatic and political level, the allies did indeed achieve their goals of buying time, mobilizing, as well as isolating Germany in the first months of the war from either Japan or Italy. They made Germany dependent on Soviet resources to sustain short-term operations, and pushed its economy on the brink of collapse.’
‘Hungary’s unique historical background and geographic location make it a harbinger of fresh geopolitical guidelines, political standards and new norms. The country’s pragmatism in international relationships and capacity to preserve its strategic autonomy while still engaging with world bodies provide important inspiration for countries negotiating the challenges of modern global politics.’
András Berkesi wrote a multitude of spy stories and adventure novels, becoming one of the star authors of the era, and was also awarded the Attila József Prize. Officially, no one has ever held him accountable for torturing, humiliating, and handing over people to the Russians to be taken to the gulag.
‘Their achievements in the following years are also remarkable because they worked in a complete vacuum, relying only on their own research and calculations. By March 1944 Bay’s team had reached the point where they could target the “locating” of the Moon—that is, capturing microwave signals reflected from the Moon’s surface.’