EU in No Position to Dictate Terms for Putin–Trump Alaska Summit – Hungarian PM
Aug 12, 2025
MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Hungary did not join the statement of the EU countries on Ukraine, as they tried to dictate terms to Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump ahead of their landmark summit where Europeans were not invited, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Tuesday.
Earlier in the day, Hungary disavowed the European leaders’ Tuesday statement on Ukraine, in which EU members pledged to continue providing military and diplomatic support to Kiev and imposing restrictive measures against Russia.
“Before the European liberal-mainstream choir sings about ‘Putin’s puppet’ again, I would like to share why I could not support this statement on behalf of Hungary. The statement attempts to set conditions for negotiations to which the EU leaders were not even invited. It is sad per se that the EU has been sidelined. It would only be worse to give instructions from the bench,” Orban said on his social media.
The Kremlin and the White House confirmed Putin and Trump will meet in Alaska on August 15. Multiple US and European media outlets have reported, citing diplomatic sources, that the EU has been trying to broker Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s presence at the summit. Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said that Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, during his visit to Russia last week, had mentioned the option of a trilateral meeting between Putin, Trump and Zelensky, but Russia suggested that they focus on preparations for a bilateral summit. Zelensky, meanwhile, preemptively ruled out any territorial concessions.
Published at sputnikglobe.com
26 EU countries issue a statement in support of Ukraine ahead of the Alaska talks, without Hungary
The leaders of the European Union issued a joint statement ahead of the US-Russia summit this Friday to highlight their unwavering support for Ukraine. All EU leaders signed up for the text, except for Hungary, which had reservations with the idea.
The statement by the EU 26 welcomed the efforts of President Trump towards “ending Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and achieving a just and lasting peace and security for Ukraine.”
Leaders highlighted a lasting peace is needed with respect of international law, highlighting the territorial integrity of Ukraine.
“International borders must not be changed by force,” – the statement said.
Leaders also reflected on the upcoming Alaska summit between the US and Russia, saying the path for peace can not be decided without Ukraine. In the last two days, the EU made a push for President Zelenskyy to be included at the talks. The leaders also demanded that any diplomatic solution must protect Ukraine’s and Europe’s vital security interests.
The text also gave a clear sign that the EU is willing to provide further political, financial, and military support to Ukraine for its self defence and demanded security guarantees for Kyiv. In addition, they pledged support for Ukraine’s path towards EU membership.
Continue reading at www.euronews.com
Trump Says ‘Land Swapping’ Required for Peace in Ukraine
President Trump said on Monday that there will be “land swapping” between Russia and Ukraine as part of a potential peace deal and pushed back on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s public rejection of ceding any territory to Moscow.
“I was a little bothered by the fact that Zelensky was saying, ‘Well, I have to get constitutional approval.’ I mean, he’s got approval to go into war and kill everybody, but he needs approval to do a land swap — because there’ll be some land swapping going on,” Trump told reporters.
The president is gearing up for a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska this Friday and said that after the talks, he will relay Moscow’s “parameters” to end the war to Ukraine and the US’s European allies. “If it’s a fair deal, I will reveal it to the European Union leaders and to the NATO leaders and also to President Zelensky,” he said. “I may say, ‘lots of luck, keep fighting,’ or I may say we can make a deal.”
According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, Putin has conveyed to the US that he would end the war if Ukraine withdrew its forces from the territory it still controls in Donetsk in the eastern Donbas region. The reports suggest Moscow would be willing to accept freezing the lines in Kherson and Zaporizhzhia, a potential climbdown from Moscow’s earlier demand for a full Ukrainian withdrawal from both oblasts.
Continue reading at news.antiwar.com
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