“Good morning Hungary, towards a wonderful victory”, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán rejoiced early in the morning on Facebook. He was the first EU leader to comment Donald Trump’s profit.
Orbán rejoiced in the success of his long-term ally already at the stage when Trump had just won in two states of Libra.
An hour later, he continued on X that Trump’s victory was a much-needed “victory for the world”.
There is good reason for Orbán’s joy. He is one of the few “Trumpian” EU leaders who cooperates with Russia and does not support armed support for Ukraine.
On Sunday, Orbán announced in an interview with Reuters that if Trump is elected president, “Europe must rethink its support for Ukraine.”
He has also said that Trump agrees with him that Ukraine should not be supported militarily to win the war against Russia.
According to Orbán, Trump intends to negotiate peace with Ukraine, and Europe needs to understand that as well.
Double message
Right after Trump’s victory speech, the French president Emmanuel Macron riesen in X to congratulate Trump.
Macron asserted his readiness to cooperate “respectfully and ambitiously” with Trump, as they did during Trump’s previous presidency.
Macron called for more “peace and success” in his message to Trump.
However, not at any cost. Namely, the line of the French president has long been that Ukrainians should not be forced into a peace compromise that they do not want.
Eight minutes after the congratulatory message he sent to Trump, Macron announced in X that he had discussed a moment ago with the Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholzin with.
Macron assured that Germany and France “will work together for a stronger and more sovereign Europe in this new situation”.
Macron also outlined that even if there is cooperation with the United States, it will be done “by defending our interests and values”.
Macron’s messages show that the EU is ready to cooperate with Trump, but not at any price.
If, for example, Trump’s United States starts demanding customs duties on European products, as Trump has threatened, then we are ready for a counterattack, as was done in Trump’s previous term.
Landscaping
President of the EU Commission Ursula von der Leyen emphasized the power of transatlantic cooperation in his congratulatory message.
Von der Leyen reminded that the EU and the US are more than just allies, as the partnership connects 800 million citizens.
“So let’s work together for a strong transatlantic agenda that benefits them (800 million people),” von der Leyen said.
The Commission President’s message was an emotional appeal to Trump so that he would work for the benefit of people on both sides of the Atlantic and not isolate himself in the narrow-minded America First thinking.
Trump Whisperer
Also the Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte sent a congratulatory message to Trump on Wednesday morning.
Rutte praised Trump’s leadership, “which will play a key role in keeping the alliance strong”.
“I look forward to working with him again, promoting peace through force through NATO,” Rutte said.
In his message, Rutte emphasized the strength of NATO, in which the United States is at the center. He also underlined how important Trump’s leadership in NATO is.
The message is designed to flatter Trump. One of the key reasons why Rutte was recently elected NATO Secretary General was the knowledge that he knows how to deal well with Trump.
It is important for the United States to stay in NATO and Europe, and not go its own way, as Trump has been feared to do.