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Szijjártó warns Rubio about "a plot in Western Europe against Trump and his peace plan" before Hungary blocks support for Ukraine
"I told the Secretary of State that Hungary fully supports the ambitions of the President of the United States and his administration", Szijjártó said after he met with Marco Rubio in Washington. According to the Hungarian State News Agency, MTI, Szijjarto and Rubio discussed the United States temporarily suspending military assistance to Ukraine. 'I informed him that there is a conspiracy in Europe, especially in the West, against Donald Trump and his peace plan" the Hungarian Foreign Minister said.
Szijjarto pledged that at this week's EU summit Hungary will not agree to any decision that would "risk continuing the war." "Of course, we have been snubbed in Europe, but the constant chatter about who is to blame and who is the aggressor is not helpful. This has been going on for three years and it has not helped. Something needs to be done again, peace talks need to be held, and that is why we supported the US peace resolution in the UN."Szijjártó said.
Hungarian PM Viktor Orban did not accept the EU's draft text on further support for Ukraine on Thursday. The other 26 EU states issued a separate statement.
We asked Orban's political director if Putin is weak after Hungarian PM said "Strong leaders make peace. Weak ones make war"
444 interviewed Balazs Orban, Viktor Orban's political director (no relations to the PM). Balazs Orban attended the latest CPAC where Steve Bannon ended his speech with a nazi salute. Orban's political director said there is an ongoing debate in the US about whether the gesture was really a far-right gesture. He referenced the Israeli minister who said the gesture was not "anti-Semitic".
The interviewer also asked Balazs Orban about the Hungarian PM's statement "Strong leaders make peace. Weak ones make war", whether he thinks that Vladimir Putin is a weak leader. First, he said that he "did not understand the logic of the question", and then he said that he understood the logic, but the "question was unclear". He said the quote is not about who starts a war and who does not. "It is about who can make peace. And only strong leaders can do that now, not international organizations," he added.
In recent days, the Prime Minister has spoken of a "territory called Ukraine", and Balázs Orbán called the neighboring country a "problem called Ukraine". The interviewer also asked Balázs Orbán whether he used such terms because he disputed Ukraine's sovereignty. He said no.
4iG CEO and Orban's daughter uses a private jet for Maldives holiday
On March 1, the president of the Hungarian government's favorite tech company 4iG Gellert Jászai, and his family arrived in Budapest after a luxury trip to the Maldives, On board was the Prime Minister's middle child, Sára Orbán, with her spouse, Tamás Szokira, and their three children, 444 reports. Based on the bags the passengers carried, they may have been visiting a private island called Velaa.
The Dassault Falcon 8x is around $59m and it can carry 12 passengers in addition to the crew. The plane took off from Budapest at 7.30 pm on 20 February and arrived at Maafaru International Airport in the Maldives the next day.
From there boat rides or private seaplanes are available, the latter for $11,382. Velaa is one of the most expensive and exclusive resorts in the Maldives, listed as an ultra-luxury private island, owned by Czech billionaire Jiri Smejc.
Hungary records highest inflation rate in EU
Hungary posted the highest annual inflation rate in the European Union in January, with prices rising by 5.7% compared to the previous year, Eurostat reports. This places Hungary ahead of Romania and Croatia, while the lowest inflation rates were recorded in Denmark (1.4%), followed by Ireland, Italy, and Finland (all at 1.7%). The country’s inflation rate surged from 3.7% in January 2024 to 5.7% a year later.
Orbán described the recent surge in food prices as “unacceptable” and vowed to take action. He said the government aimed to reach an agreement with supermarket chains to bring prices down. However, if negotiations failed, Economy Minister Márton Nagy would be given the authority to introduce price controls on certain products.