The Initiator of the Peace Process: PM Orban

As the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska draws closer, more and more statements, analyses and speculations are emerging about what the two leaders might agree on, and whether they will succeed in advancing peace. It is worth recalling that since the start of the Russia–Ukraine war, Prime Minister Viktor Orban has consistently called for dialogue, and during his peace mission he has met with numerous leaders to negotiate in the interests of peace. The Trump–Putin summit could now bring yet another turning point.

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban (L) and US President Donald Trump meet in Mar-a-Lago, on March 8, 2024 (Photo by ZOLTAN FISCHER / HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE / AFP)

As part of his peace mission, Prime Minister Viktor Orban first met with the two warring sides: he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, then visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. Last July, the Hungarian prime minister met with Volodymyr Zelensky for nearly three hours, discussing not just the Russia–Ukraine war, but also certain bilateral issues. In Kyiv, Mr. Orban asked the Ukrainian president to consider a ceasefire tied to a specific deadline, which could speed up peace negotiations, according to the Hungarian Origo news site.

The first stop of Viktor Orban’s peace mission was Kyiv, where he held talks with Volodymyr Zelensky (Photo: AFP)

Following his trip to Kyiv, PM Orban travelled to Moscow, where he met with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. Throughout his mission, he emphasized that action must be taken for peace. As he put it:

The number of countries able to speak with both warring sides is shrinking. Hungary is slowly becoming the only country in Europe able to talk to everyone.

At that time, Russian experts argued that Mr. Orban’s visi to Moscow marked a turning point.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin is a turning point that launches the countdown to ending the conflict in Ukraine,

 – the Russian experts declared. 

China and Turkey were next

Following his meetings in Kyiv and Moscow, PM Orban travelled to Beijing to hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and later met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Donald Trump.

It is important for Hungarians that China advocates peace in the world,

 – the Hungarian prime minister stated after his talks in China, stressing that:

Alongside the warring parties, the decision of three world powers — the United States, the European Union, and China — will determine when the Russia–Ukraine war ends.

After meeting the Chinese president, Mr. Orban posted this message on his Facebook page:

China is a key player in creating peace.

In Washington, Viktor Orban met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, where they discussed the Russia–Ukraine war, and the prime minister asked for the Turkish president’s support for Hungary’s peace mission.

President Erdogan is an important partner in our peace mission. Turkey is the dominant regional power in the Black Sea area and the only actor that has successfully mediated between the warring parties in the Russia–Ukraine conflict,

– Mr. Orban stated.

Trump will find solve this to peace!

The final stop of last summer's peace mission was a meeting between Viktor Orban and Donald Trump. The American president — at the time still only a presidential candidate — received the Hungarian prime minister at his Mar-a-Lago estate, where they discussed possible solutions for peace. Mr. Orban posted on X after the meeting:

Peace Mission 5.0. It was an honor to visit President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago. We discussed ways to create peace. Today’s good news: he will solve it!

Responding to the post, Donald Trump wrote on his social media page:

Thank you, Viktor. Let there be peace, and quickly. Too many people have died in a war that never should have started!

The peace mission continued in December

After Donald Trump was re-elected as president of the United States in November — boosting hopes for the creation of peace — Viktor Orban continued his peace mission in December. Its first stop was the Vatican, where Pope Francis received the Hungarian prime minister.

I came to the Holy Father because we must seize the chance for peace now,

– the prime minister stressed.

After his Vatican meeting, Viktor Orban also held talks with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

 At the time, the Italian press emphasized that Prime Minister Viktor Orban could become one of the key players in peacebuilding, potentially acting as a mediator between the newly re-elected American president’s large-scale peace mission and the Vatican. The papers noted that the Vatican, Hungary, and Washington all sought the earliest possible ceasefire — and that unity was essential “now that peace is within tangible reach.

Barely a week after his Vatican visit, Prime Minister Viktor Orban met again with Donald Trump, already re-elected as president, for a three-hour discussion.

The meeting took place at Mar-a-Lago in Florida, which — experts said — reflected the good personal relationship between the two politicians. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and Elon Musk were also in attendance.

Today, if two people — two men — sit down to talk in Europe or in America, it is hardly possible for them to avoid discussing the issue of peace and war,

 – Prime Minister Orban told reporters of his meeting with Donald Trump.

USA today. The future has begun! 🇭🇺🇺🇸
An afternoon in Mar-a-Lago with @realDonaldTrump, @elonmusk and @michaelgwaltz. pic.twitter.com/xYs5q8fqGq

— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) December 9, 2024

The press highlighted the Hungarian prime minister’s role as a peacemaker, noting that:

“Viktor Orban is one of the most important foreign allies of the president-elect of the United States.”

Following his meeting with Donald Trump, Viktor Orban — still as part of his peace mission — held a phone conversation with Vladimir Putin. During their hour-long call, the Russian president and the Hungarian prime minister discussed several important topics, including the situation in Ukraine.

We are living through the most dangerous weeks of the war. We are using every diplomatic tool at our disposal to promote a ceasefire and peace,

 – Mr. Orban wrote on his social media.

The ceasefire proposal was not opposed by Russian President Putin, but it was sharply rejected by Volodymyr Zelensky.

The Ukrainian president also refused to accept PM Orban’s role as mediator.

In mid-December, Mr. Zelensky stated at a forum in Ukraine that he would not allow Prime Minister Viktor Orban to mediate in talks to end the war in Ukraine.

Mr. Zelensky specifically noted that Ukraine needed direct, mediator-free relations with the United States.

Earlier, a statement on the Ukrainian foreign ministry’s website had already

called on the Hungarian government to cease its activities aimed at a Christmas prisoner exchange and ceasefire in the context of the Russia–Ukraine war.

The most recent stop of the peace mission in 2024 was the Turkish–Hungarian summit, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Since the beginning of the war, Turkey has been working to restore peace. Today we are once again discussing this with President Erdogan,

– Hungary's prime minister wrote at the time on his social media.

PM Orban’s peace mission has opened new horizons

Viktor Orban’s peace mission has brought change at a global level in how the question of peace is perceived. In an earlier interview with Magyar Nemzet, Boros Bank Levente, director of political analysis at the Nezopont Institute, stressed that the Hungarian prime minister’s role has been decisive in making peace part of the global political discourse.

Viktor Orban has done more for peace than practically anyone else in the world,

– the analyst said. From the very start of the war, Hungary consistently stood for peace, in defiance of international pressure and opposition criticism. Mr. Orban’s position has influenced not only domestic politics but also the European stage.

He has visited every key international player who could be involved in the war, and has put the issue of a ceasefire and peace on the agenda,

– Levente Boros Boros emphasized, adding that in wartime, maintaining dialogue is crucial.

Cover photo: Viktor Orban and Donald Trump (Photo: AFP)