Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjártó told Digital that former President Donald Trump, who he says embodies a “peace through strength” philosophy, is uniquely positioned to resolve the nearly three-year-long Ukraine-Russia conflict. Szijjártó asserted that if Trump can’t achieve peace, no one can.
He attributed the failure of other world leaders, including those in Europe and the Biden administration, to their pursuit of an unattainable Ukrainian victory, a goal he deemed unrealistic from the outset. Szijjártó highlighted the ongoing Russian battlefield advances despite significant Western military aid to Ukraine.
Szijjártó believes Trump possesses credibility with both Ukraine and Russia, unlike other leaders who, he argues, alienated Russia by openly supporting Ukraine. He criticized European leaders for treating the war as their own, hindering their ability to mediate a resolution.
“So, if you really think that Ukraine should negotiate in its best shape, then we have to stop the war today because tomorrow Ukraine will be in a weaker position than today,” Szijjártó told Digital, further accusing his European counterparts of ignoring the war’s grim reality.
While Ukrainian President Zelenskyy recently declared his acceptance of either a fast-track to NATO membership or nuclear weapons, retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, Trump’s former envoy, expressed skepticism about the likelihood of either scenario.
“The chance of them getting their nuclear weapons back is somewhere between slim and none,” Kellogg told Digital.
Trump recently urged Russian President Putin to negotiate with Zelenskyy to end the war, claiming Zelenskyy was open to negotiations. Kellogg stated that Putin is more likely to engage with Trump, describing their relationship as “very transactional.”
In September 2024, before his re-election, Trump met with Zelenskyy in New York City. Following the meeting, Trump stated, “We both want to see this end and we both want a fair deal made. And it’s got to be fair.”
Digital’s Caitlin McFall contributed to this report.