Putin Embraces Budapest as a Peace Negotiation Venue Amid EU Division

In a move that underscores the growing fractures within the European Union and exposes the inadequacy of Brussels’ approach to the Ukraine conflict, Russian President Vladimir Putin has accepted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's proposal for Budapest to host peace negotiations over the ongoing war in Ukraine. Is Europe’s Division Undermining American Interests? At the Kremlin meeting, Putin praised Hungary’s balanced stance—one that starkly contrasts with most EU members who continue to support heavy sanctions against Moscow and fund Kyiv's military. Orbán's insistence on maintaining energy ties with Russia and opposing additional financial aid to Ukraine threatens to weaken the...