Zelenskyy asks Orbán to facilitate phone call with Trump
A recent diplomatic meeting between Ukrainian and Hungarian leaders may have included an unexpected request for facilitating communication with former U.S. President Donald Trump, sources reveal.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reportedly asked Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to help arrange a call with former US President Donald Trump, according to sources cited in a newsletter by VSquare, a Central European investigative journalism outlet.
“A well-connected source involved in Ukrainian-Hungarian relations,” told VSquare that Zelenskyy made this request during their 2 July meeting in Kyiv. A second source with direct knowledge of the meeting didn’t deny it, saying, “Maybe such a thing happened.”
The timeline supports this claim, as Orbán met with Trump on 11 July, and Zelenskyy had a phone call with Trump on 19 July. However, the newsletter notes that it’s unclear who ultimately facilitated the call, as “other intermediaries like former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson or Polish President Andrzej Duda are also assisting Zelensky in lobbying Trump.”
Multiple Central European experts found such a request from Zelenskyy to Orbán plausible. A Czech expert quoted in the newsletter said, “It would make sense since Zelensky is now seriously looking for access to Trump. And Orbán has this trump card.”
The newsletter also reports on other developments related to Orbán’s recent diplomatic activities, including a Russian disinformation operation alleging an assassination attempt against the Hungarian leader before his Moscow visit. Hungarian officials and a Ukrainian security expert dismissed this as “fake news” and suspected Russian involvement.
The report touches on potential changes in Hungarian politics, suggesting that Orbán’s bet on a Trump presidency could impact his cabinet. According to government-connected sources, Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political director, could see his influence increase if Trump wins, potentially becoming foreign minister.
Read also:
- Politico: UK and Germany team up on defense as fears grow Trump might ditch Ukraine
- Zelenskyy, Trump plan future meeting after recent phone call
- Orbán claims Trump to be immediate Ukraine-Russia “peace broker” if he wins elections
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