Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has claimed that Ukraine has already been defeated in the war against Russia. Speaking on state radio, Orbán, an ally to both US former President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, said an immediate cease-fire was necessary and suggested Trump’s leadership would have prevented the war.

“If Donald Trump had won in 2020 in the United States, these two nightmarish years wouldn’t have happened, there wouldn’t have been a war,” he argued. Orbán also touched upon the European Union summit in Budapest, which followed Trump’s electoral success, emphasising that the war in Ukraine remained a critical topic among EU leaders.

Contrary to most EU views, he predicted a potential withdrawal of US support: “The situation on the front is obvious, there’s been a military defeat. The Americans are going to pull out of this war.”

Meanwhile, Russian forces have exhibited slight advances in eastern Ukraine, though frontline positions have seen little change for months, as the conflict closes in on 1,000 days. Despite stable front lines, Ukraine’s military finds itself hard-pressed to compete with Russia’s larger and better-equipped forces.

Western backing is essential for Ukraine to keep up with the costly war of attrition, yet the guarantee of continued aid is unclear after Trump’s presidential election win. The Republican has often criticised US assistance to Ukraine.

At a Budapest meeting of European leaders on Thursday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy challenged Trump’s assertion that Russia’s conflict with Ukraine could be resolved in one day—suggesting an outcome likely to favour Putin, possibly at the cost of Ukrainian land. “If it is going to be very fast, it will be a loss for Ukraine,” remarked Zelenskyy.

Mr Orbán frequently works against EU backing for Kyiv, obstructing, delaying, or diluting efforts to arm and finance Ukraine and impose sanctions on Moscow following its incursion. Nonetheless, EU leaders have consistently managed to bypass such hindrances, conveying a steadfast commitment to assist Ukraine irrespective of the US presidency.

Upon his arrival at the summit on Friday, European Council President Charles Michel declared: “We have to strengthen Ukraine, to support Ukraine, because if we do not support Ukraine, this is the wrong signal that we send to Putin, but also to some other authoritarian regimes across the world.”