Hungary has been one of the few countries that has correctly pushed for a negotiated settlement to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. For the West’s globalist elites, such a position is simply unacceptable. 

Daniel Pressman, the United States’ ambassador to Ukraine, has been sharply critical of any attempts to bring a peaceful resolution to the Russo-Ukrainian conflict. 

In an X post that he published on May 18, 2024, Pressman declared “Hungary’s approach is not a proposal for peace; it’s a proposal for capitulation. It was a pleasure to join the @McCainInstitute for #SedonaForum2024.”

Balázs Orbán, the Political Director of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Hungarian National Assembly member, clapped back at Pressman’s remarks. He responded: 

“The U.S. Ambassador is surprisingly confident in criticizing Hungary’s pro-peace position. Has the U.S. strategy really been that effective over the past two years?

1. Casualties are estimated to be between 500.000 and 1 million people, including many ethnic Hungarians. Additionally, as of February 2024, nearly 6.5 million refugees from Ukraine have been recorded globally.
2. The U.S. has spent over $174 billion, and the EU an additional €143 billion, yet the war shows no signs of ending.
3. Sky-high inflation and energy prices are driving millions of people into poverty across the West.

We are not advocating for capitulation but for a ceasefire by both parties. Perhaps Hungary’s position is sensible after all, and it is time to unite and call for #peace. The sooner the U.S. urges both sides to negotiate, the sooner the war can end.”

So far in the Russo-Ukrainian conflict, Hungary has been the most vocal member of NATO that has called for an end to this war. Such postures are reflective of Hungary’s realist foreign policy vision that calls for restraint and a sober vision for navigating the new multipolar world. 

Hopefully, other NATO countries follow suit and begin embracing more realist and even non-interventionist foreign policy visions.