US Secretary of State addresses Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban: “We are committed to your success in the April elections”
After the Munich Security Conference, where he tried to reassure European allies about the strength of the transatlantic relationship, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Budapest to reaffirm the United States’ friendship with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The Hungarian capital was the last stop on his quick diplomatic tour, which from Bavaria took him to strengthen bilateral relations with leaders politically close to the Donald Trump administration, such as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Orbán himself. Donald Trump has never hidden his admiration for the Hungarian leader. Just a few days ago, in a post on the Truth platform, he emphasized that Orbán has achieved “phenomenal” results in his country. However, polls show that the Hungarian prime minister’s party is currently at a disadvantage to the political force led by opposition leader Peter Magyar, ahead of the April 12 elections. In this context, Rubio openly declared Washington’s support: “Trump is deeply committed to your success, because your success is also our success.”
During the joint press conference, the US chief of diplomacy stressed that the US president has an exceptionally close relationship with Orbán, which, according to him, has brought concrete benefits to both countries. “We are entering a golden era of relations between our countries, and this is not only because of the closeness between our peoples, but also because of your relationship with the commander in chief,” Rubio said, referring to Trump. He added that the relationship built with Hungary in Central Europe is essential and vital to US national interests in the coming years.
For his part, Viktor Orbán reinforced this enthusiastic tone, declaring that relations between Hungary and the United States have entered a “new golden age.” The Hungarian prime minister, who has been active in politics for about three decades, said that he cannot remember another moment when relations between the two countries have been so high, balanced and friendly. He expressed special thanks to President Trump, considering this rapprochement as a strategic development for Budapest. Orbán, who only a few days ago harshly attacked the “repressive machinery of Brussels”, criticizing once again the leadership of the European Union, also announced that 17 American investments have been approved in Hungary, a new record for the last decade. This development, according to him, is concrete evidence of the strengthening of economic cooperation between the two countries.
The war in Ukraine was also discussed at length during the meeting. Rubio declared that the United States is “the only country in the world” that has managed to bring the parties to the negotiating table. Speaking according to Sky News UK reports, he stressed that neither the United Nations nor any other European country has managed to do so. The Secretary of State also reiterated a well-known position of Trump: that the conflict would never have erupted if he had been president at the time the war began. However, Rubio added, Washington will now do everything possible to end the conflict.