Trump, Orban Express Optimism About Ending Ukraine Conflict Soon
20251107
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he intends to address the conflict in Ukraine, along with topics related to trade and energy, during his meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House.
Meeting With Putin
US President Donald Trump has not ruled out the possibility of a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, in Budapest.
"There's always a chance," he told reporters during a meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Trump noted that he intends to discuss with Orban the possibility of meeting with Putin.
"We are talking, but we will report on that later. Meetings with Putin—we were talking about that with Viktor [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban]. He understands Putin, knows him very well," Trump told reporters.
Trump also said that he would like to keep the Hungarian capital of Budapest as the venue for the possible meeting.
A day earlier, Orban said that the meeting could take place within a few days once Moscow and Washington resolve "one or two" outstanding issues. Putin and Trump agreed to the meeting during a phone conversation in late October, but the US president later canceled it. Both the Kremlin and the White House have said that the summit could still take place in the future.
Ukrainian Conflict
During the talks with Orban, Trump acknowledged that Ukraine "has become smaller," referring to its loss of territory. Orban, for his part, said he plans to present several ideas for resolving the Ukraine conflict to the US president. Trump expressed their shared belief that the conflict could end soon.
"I think we're going to get it ended in the not-too-distant future," Trump told reporters at the top of his meeting with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House.
According to Trump, the Ukraine conflict was inherited from his predecessor, Joe Biden, but he intends to bring it to an end.
"What we have done — I mean, the Western world — several years ago, we have to stop it. And it is a common response. Biden actually pushed for that war to happen. Okay, if you can believe it — nobody can believe it — but it's one of those things. And now look what happened. Look what has happened to Ukraine," Orban said ahead of his meeting with Trump in Washington.
Orban in turn said that he has several ideas for the ending of the Ukrainian conflict that he will present to US President Donald Trump.
"I have some ideas, and I will, I will present it to the President," Orban said ahead of a meeting with Trump in Washington.
He added that the governments of the United States and Hungary are the only ones that advocate for peace in Ukraine.
"So the only pro-peace government is the United States government and the small Hungary in Europe. Anyway, all the other governments prefer to continue the war, because many of them think that Ukraine can win on the front line, which is a misunderstanding of the situation. So, it is a complicated issue. We will discuss it," Orban said
Trump is leading great peace efforts on the Ukrainian conflict, which is positive for the European continent and all peoples of Europe, Orban said, adding that Trump's current determination is to do everything to stop the conflict in Ukraine.
Orban said that he had come to the US to be as useful as possible to contribute to Trump's peace efforts.
Russian Oil
Trump avoided giving a direct answer when asked whether Hungary could continue purchasing Russian oil, calling Orban "a great leader." He acknowledged that it is difficult for Hungary to give up such imports due to its geographical position and promised to consider exempting the country from sanctions against Russian companies.
Two weeks ago, the United States imposed sanctions on Russian energy suppliers and their subsidiaries, including Lukoil, which provides oil supplies to Hungary.
© Sputnik
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