'At last, we are not fighting against it alone,' Orbán says as he welcomes US criticism of EU's 'civilisational-scale decline'
But Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán offered his full backing for the US criticism of the EU in recent days, saying that it captured well “the civilisational-scale decline that we in Hungary have been fighting against for fifteen years.”
In a post on X, he said that the new US national security strategy was “the most important and most interesting document of recent years,” as it “speaks about Brussels in the same tone that the Biden administration and Brussels used when speaking about us – what goes around comes around.”
“The Americans also see that Europe has hit the wall of a long economic dead end. A weak ally cannot defend itself and cannot be relied upon in international affairs either. They see Europe’s civilisational crisis as well. They see that Europe’s civilisational values, democracy, and the free market are all in danger,” he said.
Orbán also said that the US position noticed that “European liberals have burned the network of relations that once existed with Russia, which was a mistake.”
“In summary: America has a precise understanding of Europe’s decline. They see the civilisational-scale decline that we in Hungary have been fighting against for fifteen years. At last, we are not fighting against it alone,” he said.
Merz also gets asked about his recent suggestion that the US should at least have a good relationship with Germany, if not with the EU.
He explains what he meant by saying that the US administration “obviously has great difficulty understanding the European Union as a union of states,” which he says he can understand that as the set up is fairly unique globally.
He says that if the US finds it difficult to deal with the EU, Germany is always ready to step in as a mediator, using its longstanding close relations with the US.
And that ends the press conference.
No reason to doubt US commitment to Nato, Merz and Rutte say
Asked about the recent noises from the US, Merz says he has “no reason to doubt the agreements we have made with the US within the Nato alliance.”
He says that the US national security strategy’s language on Nato shows clear commitment.
In other areas, the US government is more critical, he concedes, and says that Germany will have to analyse it.
But he generally says that “we know we must do much more for our security than in the past.”
Nato’s Rutte strikes a similar tone, as he says the US NSS “clearly states that the US is committed to Europe, to keep Europe safe,” and he says it’s clear that European countries are “stepping up.”
Merz also gets asked about the use of frozen assets to fund Ukraine, and he praises the EU’s proposal on this and points to next week’s European Council summit as the key moment, but signals – once again – Germany’s backing for the proposal.
Germany's Merz plays down suggestions of clash with Trump, says they had 'constructive' call
Asked about Trump’s comments about his recent calls with Europeans, Merz plays down the tensions between the two sides.
He says they had “a very detailed conversation” discussing some proposals, with the focus on “what territorial concessions Ukraine is prepared to make.”
But Merz said “it was a question that … the Ukrainian president and the Ukrainian people must answer.”
He says that if the talks progress as he expects them to, there will be further conversations with US officials over the weekend, and then “possibly a meeting here in Berlin beginning of next week,” which could see US participation.
But he says that overall Trump gave the impression that “he is prepared to go down this path with us,” and that the US president “knows that the Europeans must also be heard.”
He calls the call “constructive” with both sides showing “mutual respect.”
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Nato’s Rutte largely sticks to usual pleasantries, but says the clear political signal from Germany and other European partners is that “Europe is ready to take on more responsibility,” and “a signal that burden sharing is not just a slogan.”
We will not let anyone or anything to divide Europe, Germany's Merz says
In his opening remarks, Merz says that Nato plays “a key role in a time of great geopolitical upheaval,” as he recalls his numerous meetings with Rutte in recent months.
He also pushes back on the recent US criticism, saying that the US national security strategy confirms that Germany was right to focus on strengthening the European pillar of Nato, and on its security, migraton and economy policy.
“We are doing this out of our own conviction, not because anyone is pressuring us,” he says, as he insists that Europe “can stand firmly on its own feet.”
He says the focus is on keeping European unity intact, and says “we will … not allow anything or anyone to divide us.”
He says that in this context, he sees Europe as going beyond the EU membership, as he name checks the UK and Norway as important partners.
Merz also criticises Russia’s Putin, and says Germany and partners will continue putting more pressure on Moscow to end the war, secure “robust legal and material guarantees,” and make sure no peace settlement can take place above the heads of Europeans.
He says the leaders are in agreement, however, that they can’t pressure Ukraine’s Zelenskyy into making concessions that would be unacceptable for the Ukrainian people.
Germany's Merz, Nato's Rutte brief press after talks
Germany’s Merz and Nato’s Rutte are now giving a press conference after their talks this morning.
I will bring you all the key quotes.
'Quite an experience,' Machado says of her secret trip to leave Venezuela for Oslo
Machado also gets asked about her incredible trip to get to Oslo (9:38).
She says she doesn’t think the Maduro regime had any idea where she was hiding, “and certainly they would have done everything to stop me from coming here.”
She doesn’t want to give away any details of how she got to Oslo, but says she wants to “thank all those men and women that risked their lives so they could be here today.”
“One day I will be able to tell you because certainly I don’t want to put them in risk right now. It was quite an experience, but I think it’s worthwhile being here with you, telling the world what’s happening in Venezuela,” she says.
'I'm just one of millions of mothers longing to embrace their children,' Machado says of family reunion in Oslo
Machado movingly talks about the experience of seeing her family for the first time in 16 months last night.
She says:
“I couldn’t sleep last night going over and over again that first instant when I saw my children, and for many weeks I had been thinking of that possibility, and which one of them I would hug first.
And, to tell you something, I hugged them, the three, at the same time, and it’s been one of the most extraordinary spiritual moments of my life.
And that happened in Oslo, so I’m very grateful to this city, something I will never forget, because at the end, I’m just one of millions of innocent mothers that are longing to embrace of children and are not able to do that.”
'I am very hopeful Venezuela will be free,' Nobel prize winner Machado says
Over in Oslo, María Corina Machado is now appearing at a press conference with the Norwegian prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre.
Welcoming her to the Norwegian capital, her Nobel prize lecture, read by her daughter, “brought your message, your story and your struggle for democracy very close to the Norwegian public.”
Responding, she thanks for the warm welcome, and says:
“I would say to all citizens of the world in this hour and assure you that I am very hopeful Venezuela will be free and we will turn a country into a beacon of hope and opportunity, of democracy.”
She adds “peace ultimately is an act of love,” and says “that’s what brought me here: the love of millions of Venezuelans for country, for freedom and for children.”
Russia sent US proposals on collective security guarantees to end Ukraine war, Lavrov says
In the last hour, we have also heard from Russia’s foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who said Russia insisted in its talks with the US on “a set of agreements for lasting, sustainable peace with security guarantees for all countries involved.”
He said that Russia has sent to the US its own proposals on security guarantees.
“Our talks with the US president and his team are focused precisely on finding a long-term solution to eliminate the root causes of this crisis,” he said.
“The root causes of this crisis” is the key phrase here, as Russia has repeatedly used it to describe its maximalist demands towards Ukraine.
More broadly, Lavrov was complimentary of US president Donald Trump’s “genuine” efforts to end the war.
Czech Republic’s Babiš has arrived to Berlaymont for his meeting with EU’s Ursula von der Leyen, and if I heard him correctly, he promised journalists to come back and chat with them after their meeting.
I will look out for any lines coming from that – the billionaire is not afraid to speak his mind, and it will be interesting to hear what he thinks on the latest on Ukraine and the bloc’s plans for a reparations loan backed by frozen Russian assets.
Nobel peace prize winner Machado arrives in Oslo
In other news, we will also hear from Nobel peace prize winner María Corina Machado later today, as she arrived in Oslo overnight after a truly incredible trip from Venezuela.
The Wall Street Journal reported on the details of the operation to get her out of the country and over to Norway, describing how she “slipped through 10 military checkpoints to reach a fishing boat bound for Curaçao and a private jet headed to Norway,” where she met members of her family for the first time in almost two years.
Speaking to the BBC, she did not confirm or deny details of her trip, but acknowledged that “I am here because many men and women risked their lives in order for me to arrive in Oslo.”
“They [the Venezuelan government] say I’m a terrorist and have to be in jail for the rest of my life and they’re looking for me,” she said. “So leaving Venezuela today, in these circumstances, is very, very dangerous.”
She appeared on the balcony of the Grand Hotel in Oslo at 3am local time to greet her supporters, later joining them on the street.
Machado said she plans to bring her award back to Venezuela, but declined when she would return to her home country, which previously threatened her with sanctions for leaving it as a “fugitive” wanted by the Maduro regime.
“I came to receive the prize on behalf of the Venezuelan people and I will take it back to Venezuela at the correct moment. Of course I will not say when that is,” she told reporters in Oslo.
We will hear more from her this morning as she is due to give a press conference at 11.30am UK (12.30 Oslo).
Morning opening: Strong words, but what's next?
The US president, Donald Trump, said that he “discussed Ukraine in pretty strong words” in his last call with British prime minister Keir Starmer, French president Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s chancellor Friedrich Merz.
Given the US language on Europe, European leaders and Ukraine in recent days, it’s not difficult to imagine that the three Europeans felt the need to push back a bit on the rhetoric coming from the White House.
Oh, to be a fly on the wall.
But the key thing is what’s next. Trump revealed that the Europeans are trying to get him to come over to Europe for a meeting this weekend to discuss the latest in person, possibly joined by Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
But he didn’t sound too keen, at least for now.
“I think we had some little disputes about people, and we’re going to see how it turns out. And we said, before we go to a meeting, we want to know some things.
They would like us to go to a meeting over the weekend in Europe, and we’ll make a determination depending on what they come back with. We don’t want to be wasting time”.
In the meantime, the Europeans continue to coordinate their positions between themselves, with another “Coalition of the Willing” call planned for this afternoon.
Separately, Germany’s Merz will welcome Trump whisperer and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte in Berlin, hoping the two can come up with a plan to get Trump – or “daddy” (rolls eyes) – on board again.
In Brussels, the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen will meet with Czech Republic’s incoming prime minister, Andrej Babiš.
But already this morning she has met with Serbia’s Aleksandar Vučić, who seemingly unaware of just how sensitive the pool microphones are told her that he “got a message from Moscow.” Oh.
I will bring you all the key updates throughout the day.
It’s Thursday, 11 December 2025, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
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