Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Friday that he believes Ukraine has already lost its war against the Russian invasion.

Orbán, who is a vocal ally of both Donald Trump and the president of Russia Vladimir Putinexpressed confidence that upon his return to the presidency, Trump would end US support for Kiev, signaling a potential shift in Western support for Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia.

Orbán is hosting two days of summits in Budapest following Donald Trump’s recent election victory. The ongoing war in Ukraine will be a main focus during Friday’s Council meeting european unionhis 27 leaders. Many eu leaders believe that continued military and financial support for Ukraine is essential for Europe’s security and stability, underscoring a significant divide in approaches to the conflict.

What did Orbán say about ending the war in Ukraine?

On state radio, Orbán reiterated his position that a ceasefire should be declared in Ukraine immediately. Orbán expressed optimism that Trump’s return to office would bring an end to the conflict, in line with his long-standing call for a quick resolution to the war.

“If Donald Trump had won in 2020 in the United States, these two years of nightmare would not have happened, there would not have been a war,” Orbán said. “The situation on the front is obvious, there has been a military defeat. The Americans will withdraw from this war”.

Is Russia winning its war in Ukraine?

Russian forces have recently made modest gains in eastern Ukraine, although overall frontline positions have remained largely unchanged for months. Approaching the 1,000-day mark, Ukraine faces increasing challenges in countering Russia’s larger and better-equipped military.

Western support remains essential for Ukraine to endure this protracted conflict, but uncertainty surrounding that aid has increased since Donald Trump’s presidential election victory. Trump has consistently voiced his opposition to continued US aid to Ukraine, raising questions about the future of Western support in the ongoing war.

How did Zelensky react?

At a summit of European leaders in Budapest, on Thursday, the Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky objected to Donald Trump’s claim that the war with Russia could be ended in a day. Zelenskiy and his European allies fear such a quick resolution would favor Putin, who could lead to a peace deal involving the ceding of Ukrainian territory to Russia.

“If it happens very quickly, it will be a loss for Ukraine,” Zelensky said.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has consistently sought to weaken EU support for Ukraine, frequently obstructing or diluting the bloc’s initiatives to provide arms, funding and sanctions against Moscow.

Despite Orbán’s resistance, EU leaders managed to find solutions to maintain their support for Ukraine, underlining their commitment to help Kiev regardless of changes in US leadership.

Speaking at the summit on Friday, European Council President Charles Michel reinforced that position, saying: “We need to strengthen Ukraine, support Ukraine, because if we don’t, it sends the wrong signal to Putin and also other authoritarian regimes around the world”.

This article contains additional reporting from the Associated Press