The West must come to terms with the fact that without the US there can be no peace in Ukraine. If the US withdraws, Western Europe will bear responsibility for the killing of people in this war.
This was said in an interview with the Bulgarian National Radio by phone from Budapest by former politician and constitutional judge Georgi Markov.
"This meeting between Trump and Putin in Budapest provides guarantees that there will be no world war and that this disgusting war in Ukraine will be stopped. Trump says, "declare both sides winners – one that you took over, and the others that they didn't take over everything from you," commented Markov.
According to him, the meeting in Budapest is probably the first step towards a ceasefire:
"And if this chance is missed, it's no wonder Trump will throw up his hands. And without America, Western Europe doesn't have the strength to fix its own countries, how will it liberate Ukraine." And he explained that there are still many questions, both about the occupied territories and about the security of Ukraine, which has no way of becoming a member of NATO, Markov claims.
He added that there are also many questions related to the government itself - elections in Ukraine, because Zelensky's term has expired. And the mayor of Kiev Klitschko and Poroshenko have already complained about Zelensky.
Markov recalled that back in 2022 he warned that Trump's man in Europe was Viktor Orban. And the meeting is in Budapest because Orban supported Trump even when he lost the US presidential election.
"And Trump said to the whole world that Orban is a fantastic leader, "he is a great leader, you may not like him, but my opinion is important".
About Putin's route to get to Budapest, Markov said:
"For me, the question is not interesting from where Putin will arrive in Hungary, but why Trump is not coming to Bulgaria? Why did Bulgaria miss the opportunity to moderate this meeting. Putin will go wherever Trump says, because Western Europe is in conflict over the continuation of the war in Ukraine."
Regarding Putin's arrest warrant for the International Criminal Court, the former constitutional judge pointed out that this will not happen because ORBAN and Hungary do not recognize this Court.
"A long time ago, Netanyahu stood there for a whole week and was not arrested. Orban and Netanyahu called Trump and said that they were leaving the International Criminal Court because, in their opinion, he was a scoundrel. There are no problems for Putin, Hungary does not recognize this Court and, as with Netanyahu, will not comply with its decisions," explained Georgi Markov.