Hungary warned Tuesday that the strength of the United States’s relationship with Russia directly affects European security. 

Hungarian Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Péter Szijjártó argued that any hope the continent holds of seeing an end to Russia’s war against Ukraine, which threatens to escalate into a wider conflict, rides on President Donald Trump’s ability to negotiate with Moscow.

Recommended Stories

• Trump tells Europe it's being ruined by mass migration: 'Your countries are going to Hell'
• Trump goes scorched earth on UN and accuses it of not being fit for purpose
• US envoy Tom Barrack says interests 'not aligned' with Israel

“I really do believe that the only solution for this war is a comprehensive American-Russian agreement,” Szijjártó told Newsweek. “If there’s no Russian-American agreement, I see very limited hope for peace here. The Russians and Americans should come to a big agreement, part of which could end up in peace returning to the central part of Europe, certainly.”

In the first eight months of his second term, Trump has relied on his relationships with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin to pressure both countries into ending the conflict, which the White House has worried could spiral into World War III. In recent days, Trump’s patience has appeared to be severely strained, particularly with Putin, as negotiations with both leaders have ended with no resolution. On Tuesday, Trump publicly edged closer to Zelensky’s position on the war, likely marking a turning point in his rapport with Putin. The State Department revealed on Wednesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with his Russian counterpart, demanding the country “take meaningful steps toward a durable resolution” of the fighting.

Szijjártó urged Trump this week not to falter in keeping the doors of peace negotiations open with Moscow.

“If the Americans and the Russians fail to maintain a civilized relationship, then we are concerned about the consequences on our security,” Budapest’s foreign minister added, citing Central Europe’s “very clear historical experience” that illustrates that when the U.S. and Russia “are able to maintain a civilized cooperation, then we in Central Europe enjoy a better security.” 

“I have to tell you that we do consider President Trump as the only hope for peace in Ukraine,” Szijjártó continued, “because during the time before him taking office, there had been no hope, because both the former American administration and the current European leaders are very much pro-war. They are more interested in prolonging the war than concluding it, and therefore, it is only President Trump who can make the change here, who can give hope for a peaceful settlement.”

Some other European countries have criticized Hungary over accusations that it is pro-Russia. Much of the censure stems from Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil through the Druzhba pipeline, which Ukraine bombed in August. 

While Trump has called on European nations to stop buying Russian oil, he has expressed sympathy for Hungary’s position. Szijjártó said Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio was “the only Western politician whom I talked to in the last 11 years” who agreed that Hungary’s unique geography put it in a bind in matters of energy supply. 

“Being a landlocked country with a certain infrastructure, the biggest part of the energy supply is determined,” Szijjártó said. “We have two oil pipelines leading to Hungary, one from Russia, the other one from the Adriatic Sea through Croatia. Well, if you cut the Russian oil deliveries, then you rely on the very last and only remaining pipeline. But that pipeline has a lower capacity, way lower capacity compared to the demand of Hungary and Slovakia together.… So basically, if someone would like to cut us from the Russian oil supplies, [it] would end up endangering the country’s energy supply simply because of physics.”

LIVE UPDATES: WORLD LEADERS GATHER IN NEW YORK FOR 2025 UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Budapest cast further shade at European partners with suggestions that they have thwarted Trump’s efforts to reach a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine.

“I can tell you that if European leaders had not put so many efforts in undermining the peace process, I would say he would have had a good chance to resolve the issue until now,” Szijjártó said in remarks on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.