Trump puts squeeze on MAGA ally Hungary

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

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59% : Perhaps more troubling, they say, is the fact Trump included non-EU NATO member Turkey in his demand.
56% : The push from Trump is all the more surprising given he's repeatedly singled out Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for praise as MAGA's foremost ideological ally in Europe. Saying no to Donald?
54% : Energy boost: "There is a new dynamic," said one EU diplomat who was granted anonymity to discuss non-public deliberations.
54% : Playbook reported, citing EU diplomats, that the Commission was likely to present its proposal to diplomats by the end of last week.
52% : Three cheers: The post was welcomed over the weekend by EU officials as they scramble finalize the bloc's latest round of sanctions against Russia (more on that below). Turning the screws: By shining a harsh light on continued purchases of Russian oil and gas, Trump is lending Brussels a helping hand with Hungary and Slovakia, Russia's top European energy clients.
50% : The Commission is floating a new idea of how to send billions of euros of frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, by replacing the money transferred to Kyiv with EU-backed IOUs.
47% : The EU is preparing to tighten restrictions on issuing visas to Russian travelers, Seb Starcevic reports.
45% : And it's doubtful whether a Truth Social post from Trump will be enough motivation for Ankara to suddenly about-face on tens of billions of dollars in annual purchases of Russian energy.
41% : In other words: The two-week deadlines Trump previously set (and ignored) on Russia accepting a ceasefire have now been replaced by this fresh demand -- which could take months or years to achieve, if it's even possible.
41% : Individual sanctions renewed: Meanwhile, on Friday EU diplomats greenlit the renewal of sanctions against Russian individuals and entities for the coming six months.
38% : It comes after relentless diplomatic efforts by Finnish President Alexander Stubb, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and other EU leaders to convince Trump that only pressure on Moscow can help deliver a ceasefire.
36% : " Helping hand: EU capitals have struggled for years to work around Hungary's opposition in particular to any move designed to pressure Russia or help Ukraine.
34% : By setting such a high bar for American participation, European officials quietly fear Trump may in fact be putting it off for the foreseeable future.

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