Marco Rubio is visiting Budapest after Bratislava, where he will hold talks with Viktor Orbán, as the United States seeks to strengthen ties with conservative leaders in the region.
Following his appearance at the Munich Security Conference, the U.S. Secretary of State arrived in Bratislava on Sunday, February 15th as part of his European tour—with Budapest as his next stop.
The diplomatic visit aims to strengthen Washington’s ties with Central European governments politically aligned with President Donald Trump. Rubio is scheduled to meet Slovak PM Robert Fico in Bratislava before continuing discussions with Hungarian leaders in Budapest on Monday.
Energy is expected to play a central role in the talks. Both Slovakia and Hungary make heavy use of Russian fossil fuels, while the United States is seeking to help reduce such consumption and offer alternative avenues for cooperation. During a visit to the White House last year, Orbán secured an exemption for Hungary from U.S. sanctions on Russian oil and gas imports. Washington is also looking to expand its political and economic influence in the region.
The timing of the visit is politically significant, as Hungary is set to hold parliamentary elections in April, and Trump has openly expressed support for Viktor Orbán, who he describes as a
strong and decisive leader.
Orbán has developed close ties with Trump’s political movement and frequently emphasises national sovereignty and family values, as an alternative to what he calls the “Brussels Coalition.”’ Fellow conservatives in America admire his principled stance on immigration and opposition to the mission creep of ‘LGBTQ rights’ and ‘gender ideology.’
Orbán has also announced plans to travel to Washington next week to attend the inaugural meeting of Trump’s ‘Peace Council.’
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