Von der Leyen 'looking forward' to working with Trump
· RTE.ieEuropean Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has said that she is looking forward to working with US President-elect Donald Trump again to strengthen the transatlantic bond.
"I have some experience with working with President Trump," she said, adding it was very important that the two "analyse together what our shared interests are and work on that".
Ms von der Leyen was speaking after arriving in Budapest for the gathering of the European Political Community, a grouping of 47 European countries including the 27 member states of the European Union.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is among those attending the summit.
"Tomorrow I will be in Budapest to attend the meeting of the European Political Community at the invitation of the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán," Mr Zelensky said in an address posted on Telegram.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is a vocal supporter of Donald Trump and has criticised American aid to Ukraine.
The Hungarian leader has also questioned Europe's financial support for Ukraine and criticised sanctions on Russia over the invasion.
Mr Orbán is hosting today's meeting by virtue of Hungary’s presidency of the European Union.
He drew sharp criticism inside the EU for flying to Moscow in July for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin at the start of Hungary's presidency, days after he had met with Mr Zelensky in Kyiv.
The Hungarian Prime Minister and the Ukrainian President have had thorny relations throughout the war, with the Hungarian leader having called Mr Zelensky an "opponent" and criticising a "victory plan" put forward by Mr Zelensky that calls for a ramp-up in Western support.
Today's meeting will also be overshadowed by the collapse of the German coalition and what that might mean for European resilience.
Additional reporting Tony Connelly