On his trip to Europe on Monday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will hold talks in Budapest with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who, unlike many other Europeans, is considered a supporter of US President Donald Trump. The meeting was intended to “strengthen our shared bilateral and regional interests, including our commitment to peace processes to resolve global conflicts,” the US State Department said when announcing the trip. In addition, the energy supply should play a major role.
Orban describes himself as a “friend” of Trump – and in doing so, as well as his stance on the Ukraine war, sets himself apart from most Europeans. Despite Russia’s war of aggression, Hungary continues to maintain good relations with the Kremlin and is heavily dependent on Russian energy supplies. The right-wing nationalist head of government was able to ensure that his country is exempt from US punitive measures against states that import Russian oil and gas.
