BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� U.S. Secretary of State on Monday enthusiastically endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister ‘s bid to serve a fifth straight term after the April elections, emphasizing during a visit to Budapest the strong personal relationship between the nationalist leader and U.S. President Donald Trump.
Orb谩n, who has led Hungary since 2010, is one of Trump鈥檚 most vocal supporters in the European Union, and has actively curried the U.S. president鈥檚 favor leading up to in which he will face the toughest challenge of his last 16 years in power.
Rubio was in the Hungarian capital for meetings with Orb谩n and his government where he signed an agreement on U.S.-Hungarian civilian nuclear cooperation that includes the possible purchase of compact nuclear reactors 鈥� known as small modular reactors or SMRs 鈥� as well as U.S.-supplied nuclear fuel and spent fuel storage technology.
At a news conference, Rubio said U.S.-Hungary relations 鈥� which both he and Orb谩n described as experiencing a 鈥済olden age鈥� under Trump 鈥� go beyond mere diplomatic cooperation.
鈥淚鈥檓 going to be very blunt with you,” Rubio said. “The prime minister and the president have a very, very close personal relationship and working relationship, and I think it has been beneficial to our two countries.鈥�
鈥淭hat person-to-person connection that you鈥檝e established with the president has made all the difference in the world in building this relationship,鈥� Rubio continued, addressing Orb谩n. 鈥淧resident Trump is deeply committed to your success because your success is our success.鈥�
Rubio on friendly territory in Central Europe
Rubio’s stop in Hungary followed a visit to Slovakia on Sunday after he previously attended the .
Led by euroskeptic populists who oppose support for Ukraine and vocally back Trump, Slovakia and Hungary are both friendly territory for Rubio in his push to shore up energy agreements with both Central European countries.
Widely considered Russian President Vladimir , Orb谩n has maintained warm relations with the Kremlin despite its war against Ukraine while building ties with Trump and his MAGA 鈥� short for the 2016 Trump campaign slogan 鈥淢ake America Great Again鈥� 鈥� movement.
Orb谩n has remained despite efforts by the EU to wean off such supplies, and on Russian energy after a November meeting in the White House with Trump.
Rubio would not specify on Monday how long that exemption would last as the EU plans to phase out Russian fossil fuels entirely by the end of 2027.
Apparently trusting that his political and personal affinity with Trump could pay even greater dividends, Orb谩n and his government have sought to woo the U.S. leader to Hungary before the pivotal April elections 鈥� hoping such a high-profile visit and endorsement would push Orb谩n, who is trailing in most polls, over the finish line.
On Monday, Orb谩n told Rubio that his government is ready to host any future trilateral peace summit among the United States, Russia and Ukraine, and that Trump has an 鈥渙pen invitation鈥� to Budapest.
He also claimed that Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, were seeking to interfere in Hungary鈥檚 elections by criticizing Orb谩n鈥檚 opposition to providing weapons or financial aid to Kyiv and threats to block Ukraine鈥檚 eventual membership in the EU.
Make Europe Great Again
Many in MAGA and the broader conservative world view Hungary as a shining example of successful conservative nationalism, despite the and its status as one of the EU’s poorest countries.
Orb谩n has riffed on Trump’s popular slogan and declared that he and his movement seek to 鈥淢ake Europe Great Again.鈥�
In turn, Trump has praised Orb谩n鈥檚 firm opposition to immigration, exemplified by a fence his government erected on Hungary鈥檚 southern border in 2015 as hundreds of thousands of refugees fled Syria and other countries in the Middle East and Africa.
Other U.S. conservatives admire Orb谩n鈥檚 hostility to LGBTQ+ rights. His government last year banned the popular Budapest Pride celebration and allowed facial recognition technology to be used to identify anyone participating despite the ban. It has also effectively banned same-sex adoption and same-sex marriage, and disallowed transgender individuals from changing their sex in official documents.
Budapest has hosted several annual iterations of the Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, and another was hastily rescheduled this year to fall in March, just before Hungary’s elections.
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