Viktor Orban's Diplomatic Maneuvers: From Trump to Putin to Xi

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban is set to meet former President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago after the NATO summit. His recent visits to Russia and China have raised concerns among Western allies. Orban's critics worry his foreign policy could undermine EU and NATO unity.

Hungary's nationalist prime minister, Viktor Orban, will travel to Florida on Thursday to meet with former President Donald Trump following a NATO summit in Washington, a move likely to aggravate frustrations among Western allies over similar secretive trips he made to Russia and China in recent days.

Orban will meet with Trump at the former president's beachside compound Mar-a-Lago, according to a person familiar with the plans who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the private event.

The Hungarian leader, who has openly endorsed Trump's candidacy in this year's presidential election, hopes that Trump can bring an end to Russia's war in Ukraine. Widely considered to have the warmest relations with the Kremlin among all EU leaders, Orban made an unannounced visit to Kyiv last week where he held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Orban's trip to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a rare visit by a European leader, drew condemnation from Kyiv and other European capitals. He then flew to Beijing to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, describing China as a stabilizing force amid global turbulence.

Critics argue that Orban’s separate foreign policy from his EU and NATO partners threatens to undermine the unity of these groups. European governments are consulting on measures to ensure NATO and Western support for Ukraine in case Trump, a prominent NATO critic, wins the presidency and alters U.S. contributions.