Trump’s Rant on Meloni and the Pope, Europe’s Reaction to Orban’s Defeat – Ukraine Latest, April 14

Aftermath of Hungary’s historic elections, Easter ceasefire violations, Germany’s pledge to return Ukrainian men – updates from Ukraine and beyond Make us preferred on Google Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Ukrainian rescuers work to extinguish a fire in a damaged building following an air attack in Zaporizhzhia on April 13, 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine. (Photo by Darya NAZAROVA / AFP) Content Share Facebook X (Twitter) LinkedIn Bluesky Email Copy Copied Flip Make us preferred on Google A whirlwind of a weekend – bringing both good and not-so-good news for Kyiv. As the polls predicted, the Hungarian opposition won by a landslide after a record turnout , ousting pro-Kremlin leader Viktor Orban. Former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called it a “ resounding defeat for Putin ,” while European leaders have been visibly ecstatic over Orban’s defeat – with the Kremlin downplaying his defeat by saying they were “ never friends ” with Orban. Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official . After Orban’s defeat, Ukraine has also lifted a travel advisory for Hungary, with President Volodymyr Zelensky congratulating the opposition leader and calling for deeper cooperation. That said, the soon-to-be Hungarian PM has outlined his stance – still a no to Ukraine’s fast-track EU accession, energy diversification without ruling out Russian oil, and a likely push to negotiate with the EU to help unblock the €90 ($103 billion) in Ukraine aid. Meanwhile, Slovenia’s parliament speaker also proposes a referendum to leave NATO . Coincidence? The Easter ceasefire between Kyiv and Moscow also came and went, bringing some lull in fighting – but not quite the ceasefire as proclaimed. Both sides accused each other of frontline clashes, with Kyiv troops accusing Moscow of executing four prisoners of war (POWs) on Sunday, just a day after another major POW exchange – though there were no strategic missile or drone strikes against cities. Soon after the ceasefire ended, bombs and drones started flying again . Other Topics of Interest $109 Million Hit: How Ukrainian Sea Drones Hunt Russia’s Oil ‘Blood Money’ Ukraine’s naval drone ambush cripples a Russian “shadow fleet” tanker near the Bosporus, exposing vulnerabilities in sanction-evasion routes and striking a blow to Kremlin oil revenues. Multiple strikes were also reported on Tuesday, including a hit near the Donetsk airport in occupied Ukraine involving the French SCALP missile , a Russian aerial bomb strike on a dam near Kharkiv , and more hits on radar and air defense systems in occupied Crimea and Russia’s Belgorod region. Ukraine and Germany also signed a major €4 billion ($4.7 billion) defense deal covering air defense, long-range weaponry, and other systems, with Berlin pledging to limit Ukrainian men seeking asylum amid Kyiv’s mobilization challenges. For those frequently traveling to Ukraine, a new direct train between Kyiv and the Chisinau airport is also being tested – which might become permanent given enough demand. Meanwhile, US-Iran talks over the weekend have gone sideways. The ceasefire is technically in place, but both parties failed to agree on uranium enrichment after 21 hours of deliberation, prompting US President Donald Trump to move to block off the entire Iranian coastline in response – bad news for the world with food security now under threat , and also bad news for Kyiv as Zelensky had previously warned of diverted attention if the war drags on. Still, there may be silver linings, with new talks reportedly under discussion and Washington mediating talks between Israel and Lebanon – perhaps a better outcome this time around. Photo Collage US President Donald Trump on April 1, 2026 (Photo by Alex Brandon / POOL / AFP) Pope Leo XIV’s on Jan. 28, 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Feb. 5, 2026. (Photo by Filippo MONTEFORTE / AFP) On that note, Trump also launched into an extensive rant about Pope Leo XIV after the latter called for peace and criticized his war, with US Vice President JD Vance, a self-proclaimed Catholic, saying the pontiff should “ stick to matters of morality .” Trump’s rant drew a rebuke from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, and in turn prompted further criticism from Trump , who complained that Meloni used to be a better person while dismissing the Pope as clueless. Pineapple on pizza is debatable, but insult the Church/Pope and (most) Italians will not let it slide. Interested in more updates like this? Subscribe to our daily newsletter here . The views expressed in this opinion article are the author’s and not necessarily those of Kyiv Post. Leo Chiu is a journalist and editor based in Eastern Europe since 2015. He has witnessed two presidential elections in Belarus and traveled widely to conflict zones and contested regions, producing reporting that bridges the gap between major developments and local realities.