Hungary Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán has touted relations between his country and the US.
Speaking at a press conference alongside US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio after talks he called “friendly and very serious,” Orban said, “A new golden age has set upon us concerning the relationship between the United States and Hungary.”
“We operate with understatements in the Hungarian language and in Hungarian politics …I cannot remember – although for 30 odd years I have been present in politics – when the last time it was that the relationships between the two nations were at such a high level, so balanced and so friendly. So my heartfelt thanks go to President Trump.”
Viktor Orbán
Orbán disclosed that 17 US investments have “been decided upon” in Hungary since last January, a decades-long record he said, adding that he is grateful for Hungarians being allowed to travel to the US without a visa.
Also, Orbán stated that Hungary will “continue to support the peace efforts” the US is leading on to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
He asserted that the war wouldn’t have broken out if Donald Trump had been the President of the United States, saying, “And if he were not the President now then we would not even stand a chance to put an end to the war with peace.”
Orbán said that Hungary “remains ready” to provide a venue for a peace summit in Budapest, if this is possible. Hungary has been at odds with other western countries over Orbán’s maintenance of ties to Russia and refusal to send arms to Ukraine.
Hungary has pushed back against plans by the European Commission to phase out the EU’s imports of all Russian gas and LNG by the end of 2027, deepening a rift with Brussels over relations with Moscow.
On his part, US Secretary of state, Marco Rubio said that the relationship between the United States and Hungary is “as close as I can possibly imagine it being.” “And it is not just close rhetorically, it is close in action and things that are actually happening,” he added.
“I think some evidence of that is in the agreement we have just signed that builds on a historic meeting that we had in November at the White House …The signed agreement we have had today is one that we hope will be many in the years to come.”
Marco Rubio
Echoing Orbán’s “golden age” line, Rubio said, “We are entering this golden era of relations between our countries and not simply because of the alignment of our people but because of the relationship that you have with the President of the United States.”
“I don’t think it is any mystery and it should not be a mystery to anyone here how the President feels about you, how he interacted with you in his first term as President and now in his second term as President that relationship has grown even closer …I can say to you with confidence that President Trump is deeply committed to your success.”
Marco Rubio
Rubio said the US granting Hungary a one-year exemption from US sanctions for using Russian oil and gas last year was because of the strong relationship between Trump and Orbán.
Rubio Touts US As Only Country To Get Russia, Ukraine To Table
Taking questions from journalists, Rubio said that the US seems to be the “only nation on earth” that can get Ukrainian and Russian representatives “to the table to talk” to try to bring an end to the war.
“I’m not here to insult anybody but the United Nations hasn’t been able to do it. There are no other country in Europe that has been able to do it.”
“We are not seeking to impose a deal on anybody. We are not trying to force anybody to take a deal they don’t want to take.We just want to help them. Because we think it is a war that is incredibly damaging, we think it is a war that is incredibly destructive.
Marco Rubio
Rubio added that Trump has invested a “tremendous amount of time and political capital” to end the war.
So far negotiations have faltered, with a few key sticking points remaining, notably on territory, as Russia sticks to its maximalist demands.
READ ALSO: Israel To Register West Bank Lands As State Property
