Orbán as UN Secretary-General? Trump administration pushes the idea, Sybiha responds with irony

What we know

US President Donald Trump’s administration is promoting former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán for UN Secretary-General, The Wall Street Journal and The Jerusalem Post report, according to Ukrinform. US officials have reportedly already approached Orbán; he has shown interest but has not decided whether to enter the race.

Washington believes Orbán’s long-standing contacts with Moscow and Beijing could secure their support, making him a joint candidate of three permanent Security Council members. A State Department official estimated Orbán could win at least 8 of the 15 Council votes, and up to 10 in favourable circumstances. It is unclear whether the UK and France, which hold vetoes, would block him.

The same official called Orbán a “MAGA conservatives’ dream candidate”, citing his positions on immigration, liberal NGOs and established centres of influence in Hungary’s judiciary and media. Trump backed Orbán in Hungary’s April parliamentary election, and Vice President JD Vance took part in his campaign.

What’s next

Another informal Security Council vote on candidates is scheduled for Wednesday; it is unclear whether Orbán’s name will be on the ballot. António Guterres’s term ends on 31 December. The next Secretary-General is elected by the General Assembly on the Security Council’s recommendation.

Sybiha’s response

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha responded on X with irony: he is “certain” Orbán would put to good use as Secretary-General “the masterful veto and blackmail skills he has developed over years of derailing major EU decisions”. Ukraine, he added, could share with the world its “great experience of taking him out for coffee at the right moment”.

Separately that day Sybiha stressed: “This war cannot be ended by stopping Ukraine’s resistance. It can only be ended by stopping the aggressor’s attacks.”

Why it matters

The UN Secretary-General has no army but shapes the agenda, humanitarian missions and mediation. A candidate seen as pro-Russian, who for years blocked aid to Ukraine in the EU, could complicate Kyiv’s international position from that post.