Zelensky enlists Orban in bid to secure call with Trump
President Volodymyr Zelensky contacted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban for help arranging a phone call with Donald Trump on 19 July.
As reported by the VSquare portal, Zelensky asked Orban for assistance on 2 July, when the Hungarian prime minister visited Kyiv. Over a week later, on 11 July, Orban met with Donald Trump.
Zelensky spoke with the former US president on 19 July. After the conversation, the head of the Ukrainian state announced that a face-to-face meeting would follow.
VSquare emphasises that it is not known whether Orban ultimately played a decisive role in organising the conversation. Ukraine was also assisted by other politicians, including Polish President Andrzej Duda and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
What would Trump do about Ukraine?
Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised American policy towards Ukraine. At one point, he argued that the war would end almost immediately if he were president. Meanwhile, his vice-presidential candidate, J.D. Vance, said he "doesn't really care what happens to Ukraine."
In a column for the Daily Mail, Boris Johnson argued that Trump's stance is merely a smokescreen, as in his opinion, he understands the reality: "defeat for Ukraine would be a massive defeat for America."
