In Budapest, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stood beside Viktor Orban – NATO’s most openly pro‑Putin leader – insisting Washington isn’t “forcing” a Ukraine peace deal, just “helping” both sides reach one. Rubio’s praise‑soaked messaging about Trump’s success and U.S. mediation comes after Kyiv accused Washington of leaning harder on Zelensky than on Putin, raising fears of being pushed into concessions it doesn’t want.