Former President Donald Trump would stop all U.S. funding for Ukraine if re-elected, dealing a potentially decisive blow to its defense against Russia's invasion, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban reportedly said Sunday.
Orban made the claim during an interview with Hungarian broadcaster M1 on Sunday, two days after Trump hosted Orban at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to outlets including CNN.
"He (Trump) has a very clear vision," Orban said. "He says the following: first, he will not give a single penny for the Russo-Ukrainian war. That's why the war will end, because it's obvious that Ukraine cannot stand on its own two feet."
Several sources familiar with the visit told CNN that the meeting was "social" in nature, with no agenda, while another said it was "friendly."
Orban has been highly critical of the European Union and NATO's efforts to help Ukraine since the beginning of the Russian invasion two years ago. Orban's Hungary has used its position in NATO to stymie aid negotiations, but recently relented in its threat to veto a 50 billion euro aid package for Ukraine, and finally removed its months-long opposition to Sweden joining the alliance.
"If the Americans don't give money and weapons, along with the Europeans, the war will end," Orban said Sunday. "And if the Americans don't give money, then the Europeans won't be able to fund this war alone. And then the war will end."
Though his country is in NATO and the EU, Orban is considered an ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, framing his stances as "pro-peace."
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.
Trump has vowed to end the war within 24 hours if re-elected.
Orban and Trump have long expressed mutual admiration for each other, despite widely-voiced criticism that Orban has weakened his country's democratic institutions since returning to power in 2010.
