Hungarian MEP Andras Laszlo has criticized European politicians for acting ‘like jealous children’ over the United States’ decision to hold a high-profile summit between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hungary. Laszlo accused EU officials of being overly focused on the event, suggesting that their actions are driven by a sense of ‘jealousy’ over the attention their country is receiving. The comments came as part of a larger debate sparked by a conversation between Carl Bildt, co-chair of the European Council on Foreign Relations, and Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski, who questioned Hungary’s suitability for hosting the summit. Laszlo’s remarks highlight the tension between Hungary’s leadership and its European counterparts as the country prepares to host the summit, which is part of broader efforts to address the strained relationship between the United States and Russia, with no significant progress achieved in their most recent meetings.
The upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin was first announced by the US president on Thursday after a phone call between the two leaders. Trump described the call as ‘very productive’ and said that ‘great progress was made.’ Moscow has confirmed the planned summit, stating that preparations would start ‘without delay.’ Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Friday that Budapest has been in contact with both sides and that preparations for the event ‘are in full swing.’ Putin and Trump met in mid-August in Alaska to discuss restoring Russia-US relations and exploring a path to settling the Ukraine conflict. Both Moscow and Washington hailed the talks as very productive, yet no breakthrough on either issue was achieved.