The Hungarian premier has repeatedly called for the end of Russian sanctions. One of the E.U.’s closest Trump allies, Orban has backed the U.S. president’s ambition to end the war swiftly, asserting that the new administration was poised to cut off aid to Ukraine.

The fate of the European Union's sanctions against Russia was questioned after a senior Hungarian official clarified that their renewal by the end of the month should not be automatic and called for "debate,