Hungary could back Western sanctions against Russia, if Donald Trump uses them to punish Vladimir Putin for failing to accept his Ukraine ceasefire deal.

Viktor Orban, the Hungarian prime minister, has cultivated close ties with both Mr Trump and Putin, and has criticised and delayed EU sanctions against Moscow for the invasion of Ukraine.

Peter Szijjarto, Hungary’s foreign minister, said EU sanctions against the Kremlin had been “ridiculous” and a “failure”, which did more economic damage to Europe than Russia.

But he admitted Budapest could U-turn if the White House decided to hit the Kremlin after Mr Trump’s warnings he could devastate Russia’s economy.

“Our decision in the future will be determined by the circumstances in the future,” he said at the Royal United Services Institute think tank in London.