Hungary’s Orbán says European leaders must change strategy on Ukraine

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Friday that European leaders must acknowledge the need to change their strategy regarding Ukraine.

In comments to Hungary’s state broadcaster on Friday, Orbán argued that the current strategy was not working and Russia was advancing on the frontlines. He added that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s victory “has changed the state of the war.”

The nationalist Hungarian leader is a vocal supporter of Trump and has long sought to undermine EU support for Ukraine. He has routinely blocked, delayed or watered down the bloc’s efforts to provide weapons and funding and to sanction Moscow for its invasion.

Orbán did not specify what actions he believed Europe should take regarding Ukraine, but reiterated his call for a Christmas truce in the Ukraine war. He suggested the exchange of up to 1,000 prisoners of war between Moscow and Kyiv.

He said such a ceasefire should start on the Orthodox Christmas, Jan. 7. That could be seen as another insult against the Ukrainians, who split from the Orthodox calendar last year and are celebrating Christmas on Dec. 25.

Orbán had repeatedly maintained previously that Russian President Vladimir Putin had accepted his ceasefire proposal. But on Friday he took a step back, saying that he got Putin “to consider it.” He did not provide more details.