In a statement following the meeting, Szijjártó said the United States maintains that the war in Ukraine must not continue despite ongoing conflicts and challenges. He said his U.S. counterpart had emphasized that peace negotiations were the only viable path to ending the conflict.
“I told the Secretary of State that Hungary fully supports the efforts of the U.S. president and his administration,” Szijjártó added.
“The secretary of state informed me that the U.S. has temporarily suspended military aid to Ukraine,” Szijjártó said, which the European Union would address during a special summit on March 6. Regarding that meeting, Szijjártó affirmed that Hungary would not support any decision that could contribute to prolonging the war.
“We are fully committed to advocating for peace and negotiations,” the Hungarian foreign minister underlined.
On March 3, U.S. President Donald Trump temporarily halted all American military aid to Ukraine. “President Trump has been clear that he is focused on peace,” a White House official said. “We need our partners to be committed to that goal as well. We are pausing and reviewing our aid to ensure that it is contributing to a solution.” This was followed by the States cutting off its intelligence-sharing with Ukraine on March 5.
The timing of the pause suggests it was at least partly precipitated by the sudden and very public breakdown in relations between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a meeting in the Oval Office on Feb. 28.
Zelensky had come to the White House ostensibly to sign a deal granting the United States rights to certain rare earth mineral deposits in his country in exchange for securing continued support. However, the press “spray” before the main closed-doors meeting (which, in event, never took place) descended into little more than a shouting match, with Zelensky berated for his perceived lack of gratitude by both Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance.
While most Western leaders were horrified by the public rift between supposed allies, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán applauded Trump in a post on X on February 28. “Strong men make peace, weak men make war,” Orbán said. “Today, President Donald Trump stood bravely for peace. Even if it was difficult for many to digest. Thank you, Mr. President!”
Just before the March 6 EU summit in Brussels, Orbán was invited to Paris on March 5 by French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the war. In light of America’s recent policy reversal with regard to Ukraine, Macron had endeavored to maintain European unity on the matter, organizing a pair of emergency meetings in Paris among European allies of Ukraine, which representatives from Hungary notably did not attend.
In addition to support for Ukraine, the EU summit will also concern European defense. To this end, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen proposed sending loans of up to EUR 150 billion to EU governments to help them boost military spending.
The loans could be used to procure artillery, missiles, ammunition, drones, and anti-drone systems while also enabling EU countries to supply weapons to Kyiv. The measure would allow governments to “massively step up their support to Ukraine,” von der Leyen added. However, Orbán believes that EU countries should take a different approach.
“I am convinced that the European Union, following the example of the United States, should enter into direct discussions with Russia on a ceasefire and sustainable peace in Ukraine,” Orbán said in a letter sent to European Council President António Costa on March 1.
“It has become evident that there are strategic differences in our approach to Ukraine that cannot be bridged by drafting or communication,” Orbán wrote to Costa.
This article was first published in the Budapest Business Journal print issue of March 7, 2025.
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