Trump introduces shockingly high tariffs on Hungarian products from 1 June!

The United States government’s latest announcement flagging a tariff hike on European Union products is “further proof of Brussels’ incompetence”, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó said on Friday.

“Brussels was incapable of reaching an agreement with President Donald Trump and the new American administration on tariffs,” Szijjártó said in a statement issued by his ministry.

Earlier Friday, President Trump said he was recommending a straight 50pc tariff on the EU from June 1, 2025. Szijjártó said the situation that had developed was “clearly harmful and risky” for the European economy and called out the European Commission for failing to act in time.

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EU must make room for US’ peace talks

Hungary believes it is essential to leave room for the peace negotiations initiated by the United States, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said in Brussels on Tuesday, adding that the most important aims were to ensure the continuity of the peace talks and to bring an end to the war in Ukraine as soon as possible.

Hungary does not believe that EU member states have a reason to continue supporting the “escalation” of the war by taking steps that aim to achieve a military victory for Ukraine, Szalay-Bobrovniczky told a press conference after a meeting with his EU counterparts.

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He noted that Hungary had been calling for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks from the start, arguing that the war could only be resolved through diplomacy.

Szalay-Bobrovniczky said the ministers had discussed the EU’s mandate for training missions. He said a new proposal would expand the mandate by conducting the missions on Ukraine’s territory, noting that this went against Hungary’s position.

He said there was “no sense” in a further escalation of the conflict. The most important goal, he added, was achieving a ceasefire, after which the EU could make responsible decisions as to how it could support the peace process.

5% on defence

Bolstering the EU’s defences was also high on Tuesday’s agenda, the minister said. He said Hungary was one of the few countries that have met their obligation to have their defence spending reach 2 percent of GDP years ago. However, he noted, several member states and NATO’s secretary general have called for discussing raising defence spending to 5 percent of GDP.