Pressure has been mounting on Russian President Putin to meet with Ukrainian President Zelensky to nail down a possible peace deal. U.S. President Trump has been at the forefront of these efforts, with press reports that the Hungarian capital of Budapest as the location for such a meeting is a top choice of the White House.
Not all agree, including Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, an ardent supporter of Ukraine, and who also happens to be an ardent foe of Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán.
“Budapest? Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994 Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the US, Russia and the UK. In Budapest. Maybe I’m superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place,” wrote Tusk on X.
Budapest? Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994 Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the US, Russia and the UK. In Budapest. Maybe I’m superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) August 20, 2025Politico has also come out stating, “Hungary would be an uncomfortable choice for Ukraine,” for the same reason.
The Budapest Memorandum was signed on December 5, 1994, by Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan on the occasion of these countries joining the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. All three countries eventually gave up all of their nuclear weapons as well.
Per the agreement, Russia, Great Britain and the United States, all also signatories, provided the countries with security guarantees and respect for their borders; they promised not to attack, sanction or threaten any of these countries unless in self-defense or otherwise in line with the UN Charter.
In 2014, Russia violated this treaty with its annexation of Crimea, and in 2022, when it launched a full invasion of Ukraine.
Nevertheless, the chief advisor to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Balázs Orbán, found another reason for Tusk’s comment, which he posted to X.
“Donald Tusk seems upset he wasn’t invited to the Washington talks. In his frustration, he lashes out at a nation with which Poland has shared a long-standing friendship — on the very day we Hungarians celebrate the founding of our state. What would his Polish ancestors think of such behavior?”
Budapest? Not everyone may remember this, but in 1994 Ukraine already got assurances of territorial integrity from the US, Russia and the UK. In Budapest. Maybe I’m superstitious, but this time I would try to find another place.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) August 20, 2025
