Dark consequences and solutions to Vance’s Budapest debacle.
Kyiv Post
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As a Reagan conservative I found it rather troubling that Vice President JD Vance recently interfered in Hungary’s Presidential election. On April 9, Vance was in Budapest vigorously campaigning for the authoritarian Orbán, a staunch ally of alleged war criminal, Vladimir Putin.
But was just the very beginning of the fallout. On April 12, Orbán was delivered a crushing defeat by Péter Magyar, the new Prime Minister-elect. First of all, Americans should question why Vance was preoccupied with propping up a loser dictator while American families grapple with soaring inflation and other problems.
The election of anti-corruption Péter Magyar is truly a geopolitical earthquake that threatens Vladimir Putin. He appears to have integrity and wisdom of a modern-day Ronald Reagan that Americans should embrace. His immediate first priorities are aligned with investigating and quashing Russian corruption and influence.
Magyar was upset that Orbán was responsible for blocking a $90 billion European Union aid package for Ukraine. This reduction in weaponry and air defense gives Russia an advantage to expand their aggression in Ukraine. Magyar is determined to lift the $90 billion hold on Ukraine funding.
Last week, Vance stated “one of the proudest achievements of his administration” was ending Ukraine aid. This happened in conjunction with Orbán’s blockage of the European aid package for Ukraine. Vance’s partnership with Orbán lends the appearance that Vance is also siding with Russia.
Ukraine expects the Druzhba pipeline to resume this week, clearing the way for EU approval of a €90 billion loan.
Shortly after touting “his proud achievement,” Russia launched 700 drones across Ukraine that killed or wounded about 100 civilians, including children.
On April 14, Vance shockingly stated it was more important to “support a loyal ally than lifting Orbán to victory.” Vance’s explanation seems bizarre. After all, during Orbán’s 16-year reign Hungary became the most corrupt, authoritarian country in Europe according to Irish Journalist Caolan Roberson.
Orbán became a Putin puppet helping Russia destroy America’s ally, Ukraine. In fact, the cornerstone of Orbán’s campaign was to blame Ukraine for all of Hungary’s corruption problems that Orbán’s Fidesz party created in the first place. Posters depicting Ukraine as a menacing enemy on the verge of attacking Hungary were everywhere.
More evidence surfaced after the Washington Post revealed that Hungary’s foreign minister, Peter Szijjarto committed espionage by continuously forwarding secret EU information. Just as JD Vance arrived on April 7, Bloomberg news revealed Orbán professed his unyielding loyalty to Putin by stating, “I am at your service.” At that point Vance should have announced his support for anti-corruption candidate Magyar.
Instead, Vance used the opportunity by touting Orbán’s role as peacemaker. Vance proclaimed that Ukraine should make peace with Russia because they are “fighting over just a few kilometers of land.” This is factually incorrect. The Kremlin and its media routinely claim entitlement to Ukraine’s 579,000 square kilometers and their determination to exterminate Ukraine’s culture and its people.
Unfortunately, the issue is not about square kilometers. During an April 19 session of the Ukraine Action Summit in Washington, former Ukraine ambassador to America, Oksana Markarova weighed in. “Our most precious resource is our people. Investing in Ukraine is not charity but an investment in the future of Europe” and America as well.
Surrendering Ukraine’s land their land and people gives Russia a huge advantage to destabilize the Western world. A major theme of the Ukraine Summit was this sense that Americans have failed to grasp the economic and security advantages of a Ukraine partnership.
Ukraine has valuable Agricultural land and also has some of the largest reserves of titanium, uranium, manganese on the European continent worth an estimated $26 trillion. The US could greatly benefit from Ukraine’s global leadership in drone warfare.
Hundreds of thousands of Hungarians celebrated by denouncing Orbán’s Russian collusion chanting “Russians go home.” Perhaps the Trump administration should take the cue that Ukraine is a better partner than Russia.
The Ukrainian people are ready to cooperate with the US to make America and the world great again.
The views expressed are the author’s and not necessarily of Kyiv Post.
David Root is a freelance international journalist covering the Russo-Ukrainian War. He specializes in countering Russian disinformation with “boots on the ground” interaction with Ukrainian refugees, soldiers, war correspondents, Pro-Ukrainian activists, volunteer organizations, American/European politicians and others. He also advocates support for Ukraine in Washington, DC.
