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According to a report by Xinhua News Agency on July 16, former US President Trump announced on the 15th that he has chosen Ohio Senator James Vance as his running mate.

In this regard, some media said that Europe is very worried about the "Trump-Vance" campaign combination. Given that Vance has made negative comments about many European countries, if Trump is elected, the differences between the United States and Europe on issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict may intensify.

However, among EU countries, Hungary is relatively close to the Trump-Vance combination. Vance once criticized the EU for seizing Hungarian assets due to rule of law issues. Hungary said that Trump hopes to "immediately act as a mediator in the Russia-Ukraine peace talks" after taking office.

"Sailing against the storm"

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) reported on July 17 that the Trump-Vance campaign combination has exacerbated Europe's concerns. The differences between the United States and Europe on issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict, security and trade may become more obvious. At the same time, European politicians and diplomats have already prepared for Trump to become the US president again and Europe to change its relationship with the United States.

Reuters believes that if Trump returns to the White House, he may abandon or curb the current US support for Ukraine and push Ukraine to engage in peace talks to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

That stance contrasts with the views of most European leaders, who believe the West should continue to support Ukraine with massive military aid and say they see little willingness from Russian President Vladimir Putin to engage in serious negotiations.

The BBC said Vance was "outspoken" in criticizing US aid to Ukraine. At the Munich Security Conference in February this year, Vance said that Europe should realize that the United States must "shift its focus to East Asia."

Nils Schmid, a member of the Social Democratic Party of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, told the BBC that even if Vance gives the impression of being "more isolationist", Trump is still "unpredictable" and he believes that the United States will remain in NATO even if the Republicans come to power. Previously, Trump had publicly "encouraged" Russia to attack any NATO member state that did not fulfill its financial obligations and had expressed the view of withdrawing from NATO.

But Schmid also warned that the United States and Europe cannot rule out the possibility of a new round of "trade war" during Trump's potential second term. During Trump's first term, the United States imposed tariffs on steel and aluminum produced in the European Union.

Schmid also told Reuters that he had observed Vance at the Munich Security Conference and concluded that "Vance sees himself as Trump's mouthpiece."

At the Munich Security Conference, Vance said at the time that Putin posed no existential threat to Europe and that the Americans and Europeans could not provide Ukraine with enough ammunition to defeat Russia.

"He has a more radical stance on Ukraine than Trump and wants to end military support. He is more isolationist than Trump in foreign policy," Schmid said.

In response, the BBC said that Ukrainian President Zelensky said, "I am not afraid of (Trump) becoming president, we will work together." Zelensky also said that he believed that "most Republicans support Ukraine and its people."

The BBC said that an unnamed EU diplomat said that Trump had been in power for four years, so "no one is naive" and "no matter who his running mate is, we understand what it means for him to come back as president."

The diplomat further portrayed the EU as a sailboat bracing for a storm, saying it would be "tough" no matter what measures were taken.

Hungary 'immune' to Vance criticism

According to the American political news website Politico on July 16, Vance "has a lot to say" about Europe.

The report said that Vance did not have a positive attitude towards most European countries. Regarding Germany, Vance once said that Germany's energy policy was "stupid" and Germany's behavior in the Russia-Ukraine conflict was "shameful." He once said: "Germany is the most important economy in Europe, but it relies on imported energy and borrowed military power." In addition, Vance also said that Germany's far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) "did a good job" because "there is growing resistance to large-scale immigration."

New British Foreign Secretary Lamy considers Vance his "friend", but Politico reported that Vance still criticized Britain as an "Islamic country" and said that Britain would be "the first Islamic country to possess nuclear weapons". The British government had to refute his remarks.

Hungary is one of the few European countries that has not been criticized by Vance. According to the report, like Trump, Vance spoke highly of Hungarian Prime Minister Orban and proposed that the United States learn from Hungary's relevant social policies.

The BBC believes that Hungarian Prime Minister Orban is the Trump-Vance combination's biggest supporter in the EU.

Politico published an article stating that the EU had previously withheld funds from Hungary and other countries on the grounds of "democracy and rule of law issues." Vance has been critical of this, saying that "the EU has not provided Hungary with the billions of dollars in aid it promised because of Hungary's views on Ukraine. This is a manifestation of Europe imposing the liberal imperialist views of Brussels and Berlin on the rest of the European continent."

According to Politico, Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the European Union for six months starting July 1. Orban recently visited Ukraine, Russia, China and the United States without reporting, saying he was on a "peace mission" to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

In response, 63 MEPs wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President Charles Michel and European Parliament President Metsora, saying that Orban "has already caused significant damage by exploiting and abusing the role of the rotating presidency." These MEPs also called for depriving Hungary of its voting rights in the EU.

The Guardian reported on July 16 that European Commission President von der Leyen has ordered a boycott of Hungary. EU commissioners will not attend the informal ministerial meeting hosted by Hungary during its term as the rotating presidency of the European Union, when only senior EU officials will attend; the European Commission will also not visit the rotating presidency as usual.

However, The Guardian further stated that Orban met with Trump during his recent visit to the United States. In a letter to the European Council, Orban stated that Trump has a "detailed and well-founded" plan to promote peace between Russia and Ukraine, and that Trump hopes to immediately serve as a mediator in the Russian-Ukrainian peace talks after being elected.

The Guardian reported that Orban’s political adviser Balazs Orban said on his personal social platform, “Instead of copying the pro-war policies of the United States, Europe needs a sovereign and independent strategy focusing on a ceasefire and the start of peace talks.” Balazs Orban also congratulated Vance, saying that “the Trump-Vance administration sounds just right.”