White House Drafts Viktor Orbán as UN Candidate to Win Over Moscow and Beijing
Washington is counting on eight Security Council votes to secure a joint US, Russian, and Chinese candidate for the top global post.
By Ashley Roberts ·
The White House is actively promoting former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for the position of United Nations Secretary-General. Officials say the move is designed to secure the support of Russia and China by offering them a candidate they can also endorse.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the idea originated with the Trump administration, which suggested the candidacy to Orbán rather than simply backing a decision he made independently. A State Department official acknowledged the plan sounds unusual but noted that recent discussions suggest Moscow and Beijing are favorable to the concept.
US officials calculated that eight of the 15 Security Council members would vote for Orbán comfortably. They estimated that another ten votes could potentially be secured if the US, Russia, and China align behind the same nominee. One American official described Orbán as the dream MAGA-conservative candidate, citing his history of clashing with mass migration, liberal NGOs, and left-leaning courts.
Orbán is expected to have the backing of President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance if he formally enters the race. Sources familiar with the process indicated the official announcement is being held until after the US midterm elections. US contacts approached Orbán to gauge his interest, and he responded with a positive inclination, though with some caveats.
Diplomats contrasted Orbán with other potential candidates, describing the alternatives as heavy on secretarial experience in international bureaucracy. In comparison, Orbán would act as a general who knows how to exercise power under hostile conditions without being intimidated by the establishment.
The proposal comes amid ongoing calls for UN reform. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez recently emphasized the need for stronger accountability mechanisms. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul have also criticized the Security Council's inability to make decisions due to veto power, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda
