Hungarian PM Orban calls for peace talks on Ukraine as Trump’s return

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged fellow Europeans on Friday to recognise that Donald Trump's re-election will change the game regarding Russia's war in Ukraine, and agree to "move from war to peace".

"The situation at the front is obvious, there is a military defeat" for Ukraine, Orban said in a radio interview, as he hosted European Union leaders for a second day of talks in Budapest.

Trump boasted on the campaign trail he could end the conflict within hours.

The returning Republican leader, Orban said, is "a man who hates war" -- creating a "new situation" for Europe as well by throwing into question US backing for Kyiv.

For Orban, a staunch Trump ally who unlike other EU leaders has been pushing for a swift ceasefire in Ukraine, the European response should be clear: "Let's adapt urgently and change from war to peace," he said.

Speaking in Budapest on Thursday after talks with European leaders, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said calls for a ceasefire were "dangerous" and "irresponsible," offering no guarantee of security for Kyiv.

French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Friday issued a joint statement reaffirming their "determination to provide unwavering support to Ukraine and the Ukrainian people."

They reiterated their resolve to "maintain and reinforce their support" for Kyiv with the aim of repelling Russia's aggression.

For Orban, the united European front on Ukraine is starting to show cracks.

"The number of those who keep quiet, even though they were previously loud, is growing," he said.

"The number of those who are cautious is growing, and the number of those who are raising the question that maybe we should adapt to the new situation also rising."

Not so, replied Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson.

"I think the opposite is true -- the level of support for Ukraine is unchanged," he said in Budapest.