Hungary’s Orbán Tells Trump ‘It Would Take a Miracle’ for Ukraine to Win War; Discusses Energy and Trump-Putin Summit

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BUDAPEST/WASHINGTON (Worthy News) – Hungary’s prime minister told U.S. President Donald J. Trump on Friday that it would take a miracle for Ukraine to win the war against Russia. Viktor Orbán made the remarks at the White House, where Trump asked him during a joint news conference about the prospects for Kyiv’s victory.

Orbán, a long-time critic of Western military aid to Ukraine, replied that “miracles can happen,” but stressed that a Ukrainian military victory was unlikely. He accused other European governments of “misunderstanding the situation” by believing Russia could be defeated on the battlefield.

The White House talks also focused on Hungary’s energy dependence on Moscow and Budapest’s request for exemptions from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and gas.

Hungary relies on Russia for roughly 86 percent of its oil and 74 percent of its natural gas. Orbán pressed Trump for an exemption from restrictions targeting Russian energy companies and pipeline deliveries.

President Trump acknowledged Hungary’s “special situation,” noting that the landlocked Central and Eastern European nation “doesn’t have ports” and depends on overland energy routes. “It’s very different for him,” Trump told reporters.

Following the meeting, Orbán said Hungary had received assurances it would not be punished for continuing to buy Russian energy, effectively granting Budapest a U.S. sanctions exemption. “Hungary will not face penalties for maintaining its energy security,” Orbán said.

Trump appeared open to the idea, adding: “We’re looking into ways to support Hungary’s unique energy needs while keeping sanctions where they belong. We want Hungary to be strong and independent.”

NUCLEAR COOPERATION

In a related move, Hungary announced a deal to buy U.S. nuclear fuel and storage technology for its Russian-built Paks nuclear power plant.

Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said the cooperation includes small modular reactors and new spent-fuel storage solutions. “For the first time, Hungary will use American nuclear fuel, which strengthens our energy security and strategic autonomy,” he noted.

The deal marks a cautious shift in Hungary’s long-standing reliance on Russian nuclear technology.

Both leaders also reached out to Russia, suggesting that a peace summit in Budapest between U.S. President Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin remains on the table.

Trump and Orbán publicly acknowledged the possibility on Friday, but no formal confirmation of time, agenda, or execution was given.

“If it happens, I’d like to do it in Budapest, yeah,” Trump told reporters. “We were talking about that with Viktor — he understands Putin and knows him very well … Viktor feels we’re going to get that war ended in the not-too-distant future.”

Orbán has long promoted Budapest as a possible host for peace negotiations, writing on social media: “The planned meeting between the American and Russian presidents is great news for the peace-loving people of the world. We are ready!”

ICC WITHDRAWAL

Earlier, his government said it would “ensure that [Putin] enters Hungary, has successful negotiations here, and then returns home … The meeting will be about peace.”

Hungary also announced its intention to exit the International Criminal Court (ICC) — a move that could make it easier to host Putin, who faces an international warrant “for the war crime of unlawful deportation of children” from occupied areas of Ukraine to the Russian Federation.

On April 3, 2025, Orbán declared that Hungary would be the first European Union nation to withdraw from the ICC, describing it as “no longer an impartial court … but a political court.” Parliament later approved the withdrawal bill in May.

Although the decision has been accepted domestically, Hungary remains legally bound by the court’s statute until the withdrawal takes full effect one year after formal notification to the United Nations Secretary-General.

Until then, Hungary is technically obligated to execute ICC arrest warrants — including the one for Putin issued in March 2023 — but the Orbán government has made clear it would not detain the Russian leader.

Observers say the withdrawal signals Hungary’s intent to position itself as a potential safe venue for a Putin-Trump meeting, despite ongoing tensions with Brussels and the ICC.

ARRIVAL VIA ICELAND

Orbán arrived in Washington after a stopover in Iceland aboard a budget Wizz Air charter flight, rather than the government’s usual Airbus or military transport.

Hungarian opposition media reported the detour was partly due to ongoing corruption probes involving aviation contracts and government spending, though officials have denied any wrongdoing.

He was accompanied by a heavy delegation including several cabinet ministers — among them Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, Minister of National Economy Márton Nagy, Minister of Culture and Innovation Balázs Hankó, Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, Minister of Construction and Transport János Lázár, and Energy Minister Csaba Lantos.

Also aboard were business executives, journalists, representatives of research institutes, and pro-government social-media influencers with large online followings, according to flight and press-pool reports.

Friday’s meeting — widely described as a “bromance” between Orbán and Trump — underscored their shared nationalist and conservative agendas. Both advocate peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv and criticise what they call “pro-war elites” in Brussels, the EU’s capital.

Analysts say the visit could bolster Orbán’s domestic position ahead of Hungary’s 2026 elections while complicating EU unity over sanctions and energy diversification.

The European Union seeks to phase out Russian fossil-fuel imports by the end of 2027, but Hungary’s latest moves show it intends to preserve Russian supplies even as it deepens nuclear, technological, and peace cooperation with the United States.

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