Putin Tells Orbán He’d Be Pleased to Meet Trump in Budapest

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met in the Kremlin on Friday for their 14th bilateral talks, focusing on energy security, the war in Ukraine and future relations. Orbán reaffirmed that Hungary’s energy supply will continue to rely on Russian deliveries and said Budapest remains ready to host eventual peace talks.

Chinese Terracotta Army Exhibition Opens in Budapest

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok opened the exhibition Guardians of Eternity – The Terracotta Warriors of China’s First Emperor at the Museum of Fine Arts, calling it a display of treasures that shaped the Far East for millennia. He said the event symbolizes Hungary’s enduring cultural affinity with Asia and the strength of ties with China.

Afghan Immigrant Shoots Two National Guards near White House

A 29-year-old Afghan national, who was allowed into the United States under President Biden’s Operation Allies Welcome programme after the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, has shot two members of the National Guard near the White House in Washington, DC. The two victims are in critical condition, as is the perpetrator, who was hit by return fire.

On a Rollercoaster: Peace Negotiations

‘Washington proposes to recognize Crimea, Luhansk and Donetsk as de facto Russian, and freeze the conflict at the battlelines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia oblasts…Naturally, the European plan disagrees with this proposal and recommends freezing the frontlines as they are, with the option to negotiate territorial swaps later.’

Orbán Reportedly Meeting Putin as US, Ukraine Agree on Core Terms of Peace Plan

A breakthrough in Ukraine’s peace efforts may bring diplomacy to Budapest, after President Zelenskyy said Kyiv is ready to advance a US-backed framework and Donald Trump signalled talks are nearing completion. With Viktor Orbán reportedly preparing a Moscow visit, the long-planned Budapest peace summit could finally materialize.