gotchanewsdaily.com 
“It will dominate everything,” said a senior EU diplomat, who like other diplomats was granted anonymity to speak candidly.
The Hungarian leader, who has cultivated deep ties with Trump’s entourage, including several visits to meet the Republican candidate at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, has advocated a negotiated solution between Russia and Ukraine, echoing Trump. Such plans have been lambasted by Kyiv and Brussels, which argue that the war should be ended on Ukraine’s terms. Top European officials have scrambled to prepare for a potential Trump return to the White House.
EU leaders, who defied calls by some Baltic diplomats for a boycott on the Budapest gathering, could face a tough choice: Speak up and contradict their host, stressing that the results aren’t final, or remain silent and dismiss Orbán’s antics as just more noise from the EU’s troll-in-chief.
It’s also possible that, with the U.S. race in a dead heat, official results won’t be announced until after they have boarded planes back to their respective capitals on Friday evening. Not having a result would at least save them from having to go on the record.
“If the election hasn’t been officially called, what do you comment on?” asked a third diplomat.
Two other EU diplomats hinted that Orbán might set up a video call with the gloating Republican candidate, which he would use to embarrass European leaders. The Hungarian leader openly touts his links to Trump and has vowed to pop “several bottles of Champagne” if he’s reelected. Several EU diplomats say they fear he will congratulate Trump on a purported victory well before official results are announced (as he did in Georgia’s disputed election in October).
