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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 US President Donald Trump, sources reveal.

byMaria Tril

26/07/2024

2 minute read

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump meeting at the UN General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2019 (Photo: president.gov.ua)

Zelenskyy asks Orbán to facilitate phone call with Trump

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.

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