‘Good friend’ Trump will not ‘give a penny to Ukraine’, says Hungary PM Orban

Donald Trump will not provide monetary aid to Ukraine to fight the Russian invasion if he wins the presidency for the second time, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said.

Mr Orban, who has openly backed his «good friend», suggested that Mr Trump's move would hasten an end to the two-year-long war in Europe.

Since Russia's February 2022 invasion of Ukraine, president Joe Biden has sent more than $75bn (£58.6bn) in cash and equipment to Kyiv or its defence. A $95bn (£74.2bn) emergency foreign aid bill for providing funds to Ukraine, Israel, and other allies of America, was stalled in Congress due to Republican opposition.

Mr Trump, who according to the latest opinion polls holds a narrow lead over the Democratic president, had suggested loaning money to the war-ravaged country instead.

«He [Donald Trump] will not give a penny into the Ukraine-Russia war and therefore the war will end,» Mr Orban told state television late M1 TV on Sunday after meeting Mr Trump at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

«As it is obvious that Ukraine on its own cannot stand on its feet.»

Mr Orban is the only European leader to have refused to send weapons to Kyiv and maintained economic ties with Moscow despite facing backlash from the other members of the EU after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

«If the Americans do not give money and weapons, and also the Europeans, then this war will be over. And if the Americans do not give money the Europeans are unable to finance this war on their own, and then the war will end,» the Hungarian leader added.

A statement from Mr Trump's campaign did not mention Ukraine, saying the pair discussed issues affecting both nations including their respective border security.

Mr Trump on Monday described Mr Orban as a