Israeli troops to remain in Jenin refugee camp, defence minister says

Israeli troops will remain in the Palestinians' Jenin refugee camp once the large-scale raid they launched last week is complete, Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday as a crackdown in the occupied West Bank extended into a second week.

Hundreds of Israeli troops backed by helicopters, drones and armoured vehicles have been fighting sporadic gunbattles with Palestinian militants while carrying out searches in the streets and alleyways for weapons and equipment.

"The Jenin refugee camp will not be what it was," Katz said during a visit to the refugee camp. "After the operation is completed, IDF forces will remain in the camp to ensure that terrorism does not return."

He did not give details and a military spokesperson declined to comment.

The Palestinian foreign ministry condemned what it called Katz's "provocative" statement and called for international pressure on Israel to stop the operation, which has already been condemned by countries including France and Jordan.

Israeli forces went into Jenin immediately after the start of a six-week ceasefire in Gaza, saying it aimed to hit militant groups including Hamas and Islamic Jihad, both of which receive support from Iran.

Israel regards the West Bank as one part of a multi-front war against Iranian-backed groups established around its borders, from Gaza to Lebanon and including the Houthis in Yemen, and it turned its attention to the area immediately after the halt to fighting in Gaza.

At least 17 Palestinians, including six members of armed militant groups and a two-year-old girl, have been killed in Jenin and the surrounding villages during the operation, according to Palestinian officials.

The military said forces had killed at least 18 militants and detained 60 wanted individuals, dismantling over 100 explosive devices and seizing a weapons manufacturing workshop.

An investigation into the death of the girl is still ongoing, a spokesperson said.

Within the camp, dozens of houses have been demolished and roads have been dug up by special armoured bulldozers, driving thousands of people from their homes. Water has been cut and Palestinian officials say at least 80% of the camp's inhabitants have been forced to leave their homes.

"It's terrifying, the explosions the fires, the houses which were demolished," said Intisar Amalka, a displaced camp resident who said her nephew's car had been destroyed by an Israeli bulldozer.

SPREAD OF ARMY ROADBLOCKS SNARL PALESTINIAN LIFE

The Jenin refugee camp, a crowded township built for descendants of Palestinians who fled their homes or were driven out in the 1948 Middle East war around the creation of the state of Israel, has been a centre of militant activity for decades and the target of repeated raids by Israeli troops.

Just prior to the latest raid, security forces of the Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited governance in parts of the West Bank, conducted a weeks-long operation of its own in a bid to reassert control in Jenin.

As the fighting in Gaza has subsided, at least for the moment, Israeli forces have stepped up operations across the area, setting up checkpoints and roadblocks which have made travelling even short distances between towns and villages an hours-long trial for Palestinians.

Elsewhere in the northern West Bank, Israeli forces have been carrying out an operation in Tulkarm, another volatile city where they have clashed repeatedly with militants recently, moving into the city itself as well as into its refugee camp.

The West Bank, a kidney-shaped stretch of land about 100 kilometres (62 miles) long, was seized by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war and is seen by Palestinians as the core of a future independent state, along with Gaza.

It has seen a surge in violence since the start of the war in Gaza in which hundreds of Palestinians have been killed, many of them armed gunmen but also including stone-throwing youths or uninvolved civilians, and thousands have been arrested.

Palestinian attacks in the West Bank and Israel have also killed dozens of Israelis

Reuters

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has officially confirmed the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the regional bloc, marking the completion of their exit process.

In a statement on Wednesday, ECOWAS announced that the withdrawal of the three junta-led states became effective on January 29, 2025.

“The withdrawal of Burkina Faso, the Republic of Mali, and the Republic of Niger has become effective today, 29th January 2025,” the statement read.

The decision follows the three countries’ joint announcement in January 2024 to leave ECOWAS after the bloc imposed sanctions and demanded a return to democratic rule in Niger following a 2023 military coup.

Sahel States Form Alternative Bloc

Rather than complying with ECOWAS directives, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger chose to form their own regional alliance, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES). The bloc has since introduced its own biometric passports and is pursuing closer military and economic ties among its members.

ECOWAS Maintains Diplomatic Channels

Despite their formal withdrawal, ECOWAS said its remaining members have tentatively agreed to maintain some level of cooperation with the departing states.

These include:

• Recognizing national passports and identity documents bearing the ECOWAS logo

• Allowing continued trade under existing regional agreements

• Maintaining diplomatic relations

In December 2024, ECOWAS had given the three nations a six-month grace period to reconsider their decision, but the withdrawal has now been finalized.

“These arrangements will be in place until the full determination of the modalities of our future engagement with the three countries by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government,” the statement added.

The exit of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger marks a significant shift in regional dynamics, as ECOWAS grapples with the impact of military takeovers and political instability in West Africa.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

Ukraine mounts big drone attack, says it hit Russian refinery

Ukraine said on Wednesday it had struck a big Russian oil refinery in an overnight drone attack, and a Russian official said an attempted Ukrainian drone strike on a nuclear power plant had been thwarted.

The Ukrainian military said the strike on the refinery in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region had caused a large fire. Reuters was able to verify a video posted on social media that showed orange flames lighting up the night sky in the city of Kstovo, but could not confirm it was the refinery that was burning.

Lukoil's NORSI refinery, Russia's fourth largest, is based in Kstovo, which lies east of Moscow and about 800 km (500 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

Russian petrochemicals giant Sibur said it had temporarily suspended operations at its plant, also in Kstovo, on Wednesday morning after debris from a Ukrainian drone sparked a fire. It said the blaze was later contained, and there were no casualties.

Ukraine has carried out frequent air attacks on Russian refineries, oil depots and industrial sites in an attempt to cripple key infrastructure underpinning Russia's war effort.

Russia is currently feeding more crude oil through its refineries in the hope of boosting fuel exports after new U.S. sanctions on Russian tankers and traders made exports of unprocessed crude more difficult, sources told Reuters this week. A Ukrainian drone attack last week forced a refinery in Ryazan, southeast of Moscow, to suspend operations.

NUCLEAR PLANT

The governor of Russia's western Smolensk region said on Wednesday that air defence systems had destroyed a drone attempting to strike a nuclear power plant there. The plant was working normally, the RIA state news agency reported, citing its press service.

Reuters could not independently verify the report.

The governor of Belgorod, another western region, said a mother and her two-year-old child had been killed when a drone struck a family home there. He said the child's father and another child had been wounded and taken to hospital.

Both sides deny targeting civilians in their attacks in the war that Russia launched in February 2022. But thousands of civilians, mostly Ukrainians, have been killed.

Russia's Defence Ministry said on Telegram that 104 Ukrainian drones had been involved in raids across western Russia, 11 of which were destroyed over the Smolensk region.

In total, Russian air defences destroyed drones over nine regions, nearly half of them over Kursk, where Russian forces are fighting to drive out Ukrainian troops who fought their way across the border last August.

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Russian troops liberate Novoyelizavetovka community in Donbass region over past day

Russian troops liberated the community of Novoyelizavetovka in the Donbass region over the past day in the special military operation in Ukraine, Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on Wednesday.

"Battlegroup Center liberated the settlement of Novoyelizavetovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic through active operations," the ministry said in a statement.

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicts 30 casualties on Ukrainian army in Kharkov area

Russia’s Battlegroup North inflicted roughly 30 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed two enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility in the Kharkov Region over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup North units operating in the Kharkov direction inflicted casualties on formations of a motorized infantry and an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army in areas near the settlements of Liptsy and Volchansk in the Kharkov Region," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 30 personnel, an armored combat vehicle, a motor vehicle and two field artillery guns in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicts 320 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup West inflicted roughly 320 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy ammunition depots in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup West units improved their tactical position and inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of a tank brigade, a mechanized brigade and an assault brigade of the Ukrainian army and a National Guard brigade near the settlements of Topoli, Lozovaya and Zelyony Gai in the Kharkov Region and Grigorovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 320 personnel, a tank, three armored combat vehicles, including two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers, eight motor vehicles and six field artillery guns, among them two Western-made weapons, it specified.

In addition, Russian forces destroyed two Nota electronic warfare stations and three ammunition depots of the Ukrainian army over the past 24 hours, it said.

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicts 220 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup South inflicted roughly 220 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed three enemy armored vehicles in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup South units took better lines and positions and inflicted losses on formations of two mechanized brigades of the Ukrainian army and two territorial defense brigades in areas near the settlements of Verkhnekamenskoye, Yantarnoye, Orekhovo-Vasilevka and Chasov Yar in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army lost an estimated 220 personnel, three armored combat vehicles, five motor vehicles and two field artillery guns in that frontline area over the past 24 hours, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicts 520 casualties on Ukrainian army over past day

Russia’s Battlegroup Center inflicted roughly 520 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed a US-made jamming station in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

During the last 24-hour period, Battlegroup Center units "inflicted damage on manpower and equipment of three mechanized and a jaeger brigade of the Ukrainian army and a National Guard brigade in areas near the settlements of Andreyevka, Novopavlovka, Udachnoye, Shcherbinovka and Tarasovka in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to 520 personnel, a tank, seven armored combat vehicles, including two US-made M113 armored personnel carriers, seven motor vehicles, five field artillery guns and a US-manufactured AN/TPQ-37 counterbattery radar station, it specified.

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicts over 135 casualties on Ukrainian army in past day

Russia’s Battlegroup East inflicted more than 135 casualties on Ukrainian troops and destroyed four enemy artillery guns in its area of responsibility over the past day, the ministry reported.

"Battlegroup East units kept advancing deep into the enemy’s defenses and inflicted casualties on formations of a mechanized brigade of the Ukrainian army, a marine infantry brigade and a territorial defense brigade in areas near the settlements of Razliv and Konstantinopol in the Donetsk People’s Republic," the ministry said.

The Ukrainian army’s losses in that frontline area over the past 24 hours amounted to more than 135 personnel, a tank and four field artillery guns, including a Western-made weapon, it specified.

Reuters/Tass

I’ve always been told to ask a couple questions at the end of job interviews: What does a typical day look like in this position? What kinds of challenges does someone in this role typically face?
But nobody’s ever told me how to find out what kind of boss I’d be working for. A job interview should help you vet your potential employer and manager just as much as they’re vetting you — and one question can help you get a pretty good idea, says Deepali Vyas, the global head of fintech, payments and crypto practice at Korn Ferry.
The question: How would your current team describe you and your leadership style?
Use it to see if your future manager is flexible and trusting with their reports, and whether they micromanage, Vyas says. Her example of a good response: I give them enough leash to let them run with an idea, and I help them when they’re actually in need.
If your interviewer displays “green flag” leadership traits like empathy, transparency, emotional intelligence and accountability, you might enjoy working for them someday. It matters: A bad boss can quickly turn even a well-paid dream job into a nightmare.
If they respond that “people follow my lead or do what I say,” Vyas says, “those are red flags.”

CNBC

The Debt Management Office (DMO) has successfully raised N669.94 billion in its January 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) bond auction, with N606.46 billion allotted across three different bond tenors.

According to the results posted by DMO on X (formerly Twitter), the allocations were distributed as follows:

- 19.30% FGN APR 2029: N78.86 billion at 21.79% yield

- 18.50% FGN FEB 2031: N159.29 billion at 22.5% yield

- 22.60% FGN JAN 2035: N368.31 billion at 22.6% yield

The auction, which initially targeted N450 billion, was oversubscribed with strong investor interest across all tenors. The funds raised are intended to support government infrastructure projects and help finance the 2025 budget deficit through domestic borrowing.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Nigerian telecommunications subscribers are taking legal action against the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) over its recent approval of a 50% increase in call and data tariffs, following failed attempts at negotiation.

The National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS), representing 157 million users, announced Tuesday its plans to file a lawsuit after the NCC failed to respond to their proposal to reduce the hike to 10%. The association had given the regulator a three-day window to reconsider its position.

"Since we have not received any response, we are moving forward with the court process starting Wednesday," said NATCOMS President Adeolu Ogunbanjo. He emphasized that the steep increase particularly burdens lower-income subscribers who depend on affordable communication services.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has already filed suit FHC/ABJ/CS/111/2025 at the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging President Tinubu's government. SERAP argues that the tariff hike is "arbitrary, unconstitutional, unlawful, unfair, and unreasonable" and seeks an interim injunction to halt its implementation.

The increase, announced last week Monday and set to take effect in February, marks the first such adjustment in over a decade. While telecom operators defend the hike as necessary for business sustainability and infrastructure expansion, critics including NATCOMS, SERAP, and the Nigeria Labour Congress argue it compounds economic hardships amid rising inflation.

Industry analysts note that despite the planned increase, telecom companies continue to face challenges from volatile exchange rates, affecting their ability to make long-term investments and manage operational costs effectively.

The NCC's Director of Publicity, Reuben Mouka, has not responded to requests for comment on the developing situation.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has issued 10 Gas Distribution Licences (GDLs) to six companies as part of efforts to expand and deepen gas utilisation in Nigeria.

The GDL, as outlined in Sections 148–152 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), grants exclusive rights to establish, construct, and operate gas distribution systems within designated Local Gas Distribution Zones (GDZs). The recipients of these licences include NNPC Gas Marketing Company, Shell Nigeria Gas Limited, NIPCO Plc., Central Horizon Gas Company, Falcon Corporation Ltd., and AXXELA.

At the award ceremony in Abuja on Tuesday, Farouk Ahmed, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NMDPRA, revealed that over 30 applications were submitted, and a thorough evaluation process was conducted in line with regulatory requirements.

“The licences being issued today will support the ‘last mile’ expansion, which is crucial for establishing a fully interconnected and efficient gas network across the country,” Ahmed said.

He added that the issuance of these 10 licences marks the first phase of the GDL regime, with further licences to be granted in subsequent phases to operators who meet the regulatory standards and demonstrate significant investment in gas distribution infrastructure.

500 Customer Stations, 1,200km of Gas Pipelines Covered

Ahmed highlighted that the licences cover a combined gas distribution capacity of 1.5 billion standard cubic feet (bscf) per day, with a 1,200km gas distribution pipeline network and over 500 customer stations.

He noted that the GDL regime is expected to drive the development of Nigeria’s domestic gas market by supplying energy to industries, special economic zones, embedded power generation, and compressed natural gas (CNG) mobility schemes.

“Piped natural gas (PNG) provides a continuous supply, is cost-effective, safer, and eliminates storage challenges,” Ahmed said. “These benefits will not only improve energy efficiency but also support Nigeria’s growing energy needs.”

To ensure transparency and efficiency in gas distribution, Ahmed stated that NMDPRA will oversee tariff regulation and safety standards for GDL operations. He also announced that the authority has begun processing additional licences under the Gas Distribution Regulations 2023.

Speaking at the event, Ekperikpe Ekpo, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), reiterated the federal government’s commitment to implementing the PIA 2021 and ensuring broader gas accessibility.

Citing data from the African Development Bank (AfDB), Ekpo stressed the urgency of expanding clean energy access, noting that over 600,000 women and children die annually in Africa due to a lack of clean cooking solutions, while 1.2 billion women globally lack access to clean cooking.

“Continued exposure to carbon monoxide from traditional cooking fuels leads to severe air pollution, which is a leading cause of death among women and children,” Ekpo said.

He described the gas distribution licence issuance as a critical step in reducing reliance on traditional fuels, improving health outcomes, and advancing Nigeria’s energy transition goals.

Activist Omoyele Sowore will be arraigned today (Wednesday) following charges brought against him by the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, over social media posts in which Sowore referred to Egbetokun as an “illegal IG.” The case is being heard before Justice Liman at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

Sowore faces three counts under the Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act, 2015, as amended in 2024. The charges stem from posts made on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, where he allegedly described the IGP as “illegal IGP Kayode Egbetokun.” The police claim these statements were false and intended to disrupt public order and undermine the authority of the Nigeria Police Force.

According to the charge sheet (suit number FCH/ABJ/23/25), the first count alleges that on December 13, 2024, Sowore intentionally sent a message via his X account, referring to the IGP as “illegal,” knowing it to be false and with the intent to cause a breakdown of law and order. The second count accuses Sowore of making threats aimed at inciting Nigerians against the police and damaging the reputation of the IGP and the force. The third count relates to a post on December 20, 2024, in which Sowore allegedly stated, “The illegal IG of Nigeria Police Force, Kayode Egbetokun, will make the next #ENDSARS inevitable! He is working tirelessly towards it. Just a matter of time. #EgbetekunMustGo #Revolution.”

The police argue that these posts were designed to provoke unrest and challenge the legitimacy of the police leadership. Sowore’s legal team, led by Marshall Abubakar, has confirmed that they will address the charges in court. Meanwhile, political activist Deji Adeyanju has criticized the case as an abuse of the legal process, vowing to mount a robust defense.

Sowore was detained on Monday after refusing to comply with bail conditions set by the police, which included providing a Level 17 civil servant as a guarantor and surrendering his passport. He was detained at the IRT facility in Abuja following allegations of obstructing public officers and cyberstalking.

The charges against Sowore come amid ongoing tensions between him and Nigerian authorities, particularly after he posted a viral video in December 2024 alleging police extortion at a Lagos checkpoint. His refusal to meet the bail conditions has further escalated the situation, drawing attention to the case as it proceeds in court.

Rubio told Egypt about need to stop Hamas from governing Gaza again, US says

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Egypt's foreign minister on Tuesday it was important to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza again, the State Department said, with their call coming after President Donald Trump suggested Egypt and Jordan should take more Palestinians.

WHY IT'S IMPORTANT

Trump on Saturday floated a plan to "clean out" Gaza, where Israel's war has killed tens of thousands and caused a humanitarian crisis, in comments that echoed long-standing Palestinian fears of being permanently driven from their homes.

The suggestion by Trump was not mentioned in the U.S. State Department statement released on Tuesday after the call between Rubio and Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty.

Jordan and Egypt had pushed back over the weekend after Trump's comments that they should take in Palestinians from Gaza. Asked if this was a temporary or long-term solution, Trump had said: "Could be either."

KEY QUOTES

"He (Rubio) also reinforced the importance of holding Hamas accountable," the State Department said after Tuesday's call.

"The Secretary reiterated the importance of close cooperation to advance post-conflict planning to ensure Hamas can never govern Gaza or threaten Israel again."

CONTEXT

Rubio held a call a day earlier with Jordan's King Abdullah and the U.S. statement after that call, too, did not mention Trump's remarks on Palestinian displacement.

The latest bloodshed in the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict was triggered on Oct. 7, 2023, when Palestinian Hamas militants attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and taking about 250 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

Israel's subsequent military assault on Gaza killed over 47,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, and led to accusations of genocide and war crimes that Israel denies. The fighting has currently paused amid a fragile ceasefire.

Reuters

RUSSIAN PERSPECTIVE

Zelensky lacks legitimacy to sign any deal – Putin

Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky can participate in possible talks with Moscow if he wishes to, but he lacks the legitimacy to actually sign a peace deal, Russian President Vladimir Putin told journalist Pavel Zarubin on Tuesday. 

Negotiating with the de-facto Ukrainian leadership will not have any legal meaning, given that Kiev explicitly banned itself from engaging in talks with Moscow, according to Putin. 

In 2022, Zelensky, whose presidential term officially ended in May 2024, issued a decree prohibiting negotiations with Russia, and President Vladimir Putin specifically, a measure that remains in effect. Last week, Zelensky claimed the ban applies to all Ukrainian officials except himself, although the original decree did not specify a list of entities barred from talking to Russia, stating only that such negotiations were “impossible.”

“If we start negotiations now, they will be illegitimate… Because when the current head of the regime, that’s the only way to call [Zelensky] today, signed this decree, he was a somewhat legitimate president. But now he can’t cancel it, because he is illegitimate. That’s the trick, the catch, the trap,” Putin explained. 

However, the Ukrainian leadership could find a way out of this situation and circumvent the ban, Putin said, suggesting that the country’s parliament could do that. “According to Ukraine’s constitution, the president of Ukraine, even under martial law, cannot extend his term. Only the representative branch can have its term extended, that’s the Ukrainian parliament, while the president only has a five-year term, that’s it,” he said. 

Asked whether Moscow would actually talk to Zelensky if he expresses the desire to do so, Putin said the Ukrainian leader lacks any authority to actually strike any sort of deal with Russia. 

“It’s possible to negotiate with anyone. However, due to his illegitimacy, [Zelensky] has no right to sign anything. If he wishes to participate in talks, I will deploy people who will conduct such negotiations,” Putin said. He stressed that signing any deal would be a “very serious question” and the agreement must “guarantee the security of both Ukraine and Russia” for a “serious” period of time. 

Any potential peace agreement must be flawless from the legal standpoint, Putin emphasized, adding that the authority and legitimacy of Kiev’s negotiating team would be subjected to intense scrutiny and assessed by a whole team of legal experts.

WESTERN PERSPECTIVE

EU prolongs its Russia sanctions for 6 months after Hungary lifts its objections

The European Union agreed a 6-month extension Monday for a raft of sanctions aimed at depriving Russia of funds to finance its war against Ukraine after Hungary lifted its objections to the move.

The sanctions target trade, finance, energy, technology, industry, transport and luxury goods. They include a ban on the import or transfer of seaborne crude oil and certain petroleum products from Russia to the EU. They will now remain in place at least until July 31.

Some measures were introduced in 2014 after Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula, but the list grew significantly after Moscow’s full-fledged invasion of its neighbor almost three years ago.

On Friday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called on the EU to intervene in a gas dispute that his country has with Ukraine. He said Kyiv’s decision to halt the transit of Russian gas into Central Europe had forced Hungary to turn to alternative routes, which raised energy prices.

To satisfy Orbán’s demand, the European Commission attached a statement to Monday’s sanctions rollover agreement, saying that it “expects all third countries to respect” EU energy security, and warned that it could take action to protect critical infrastructure like oil and gas pipelines.

“Hungary has received the guarantees it has requested concerning the energy security of our country,” Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said in a statement. All 27 EU member countries must agree for the sanctions to be prolonged.

But already last week EU diplomats and officials expected Hungary to end its threatened blockade on the measures after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose stiff taxes, tariffs and sanctions on Russia if an agreement isn’t reached to end the war in Ukraine.

In a post to his Truth Social site last Wednesday, Trump urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to “settle now and stop this ridiculous war.” Orbán is seen as Putin’s closest ally in the 27-nation EU, but he’s also a staunch admirer of Trump.

RT/AP