‘While the current US administration has acknowledged that Ukraine is neither militarily nor economically capable of overpowering Russia in a prolonged conflict, Berlin still regards Western involvement in Ukraine as a success. From the outset, however, Western analysis significantly underestimated Russia’s capacity for resilience.’
‘Now, that the new US administration is very clearly pursuing a different policy on Ukraine compared to its predecessor’s, Europe’s attitude should adapt too. The fact that European leaders’ messages after Friday do not signal any change in the EU’s policy demonstrates that Europe is unable or unwilling to realize that…the only way forward is to end the war on the Eastern front as soon as possible.’
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.
‘Since 1945 America has been the one country that’s been the readiest to stand sentinel to others’ freedom, to do as much for others as they were prepared to do for themselves; often without the honour it deserved for being the policeman that a freer and fairer world will always need.’
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.
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.
‘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.”’
‘Why then would the U.S. now wish to abandon to uphold and defend the sovereign rights of a free country? Quite simply, because the Ukrainians do not have the manpower anymore to fend off Russian forces, let alone the political clout to regain its lost territories, including Crimea, regardless of European support.’
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.
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.