US Vice President, JD Vance, brought a lot of praise to Hungary and Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Tuesday, including for the relationship with Moscow, resuming his campaign themes and thus criticizing the European Union with which the Hungarian leader is in conflict.
JD Vance and his wife, Usha, were welcomed at the Budapest airport by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, who said that this visit illustrates „a new golden age in the relations between the United States and Hungary.”
This visit comes at a time when the Trump administration is grappling with managing the conflict with Iran, which has entered its sixth week, with consequences on energy prices and the president's popularity. JD Vance, who opposes foreign military interventions, is engaging in indirect communications aimed at ending this conflict.
"The relationship and friendship between Hungary and the United States are very important to us," JD Vance told Viktor Orban before closed-door discussions. "Partly because we love the Hungarian people, as well as this country and its remarkable culture, but also because the president likes you, as do I, because you are an important part of what has made Europe strong and prosperous," JD Vance told his host Viktor Orban.
The two then held a joint press conference, an opportunity for Donald Trump's vice president to convey messages from the White House, as reported by The Guardian.
JD Vance was quick to criticize the alleged EU interference in Hungary's elections, stating this several times during his statements. He said that the alleged foreign interference in Hungary's parliamentary elections is unprecedented and "shameful," while in fact, he himself came to Hungary to strongly support Viktor Orban to win Sunday's vote, a move that critics will undoubtedly consider as his own interference in the country's electoral process, as noted by the British newspaper.
EU tries to destroy Hungary's economy
It is "one of the most serious examples of foreign interference in elections we have ever seen," Vance said, harshly criticizing the "bureaucrats in Brussels (who) have tried to destroy Hungary's economy."
"They did all this because they hate this man," was his argument.
He told Hungarian voters that they should consider "not who is pro or anti-Europe, who is pro or anti-US, but who is pro-you and pro-the Hungarian people."
Without deviating from the subject, JD Vance smoothly transitioned from criticizing the European "bureaucrats" for "one of the most serious examples of foreign interference in elections" he had ever seen to accusing them of trying to "destroy Hungary's economy," to stating that he is in Budapest to help in this electoral campaign, expecting him to win Sunday's elections.
Praising the prime minister facing challenges in the electoral campaign, Vance argued that he sees in Orban a man who "defended his country fiercely," who "defends the values of Western civilization" and is generally right on all sorts of issues, from energy to Ukraine.
EU Leaders are to blame for the war in Ukraine
The US Vice President accused the EU of making a "huge mistake" by interrupting the supply of oil and natural gas from the "East" - referring to Russia - since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, and stated that they should have followed Viktor Orban's "policies" - who maintained friendly relations with Vladimir Putin and did not try to escape his country's energy dependence on Russia.
Speaking about the future of Ukraine, the American Vice President stated: "I strongly believe it is in the interest of Ukraine, Europe, Hungary, and the United States for this war to end as soon as possible."
Furthermore, JD Vance suggested that Europe is to blame for Russia's aggressive war in Ukraine. "The seeds of this conflict were actually planted long before the fighting began, and were planted when European leaders decided to delve so deeply into a certain energy economy that they would isolate themselves from oil and natural gas from the East. It was a huge mistake then, and it is clear that it is a huge mistake now," said the US Vice President.
He then defended the positions taken by Donald Trump in the conflict between Ukraine and Russia and reiterated his boss's thesis - everything must be bought from America.
"It's funny when I hear people accusing, for example, my president of being pro-Russia. My president has done more than anyone else in the world to help Europe with energy and liquefied natural gas, which weakens Russia, because we would like our allies and friends to follow smart energy policies, so that their consumers pay less. But also, when, God forbid, a conflict arises, they can rely on us, rather than another country, for the energy they need.
So, I find it very amusing that often, even those who accuse one or another leader of being pro-Russia are the same people who have created, from the beginning, an energy-weak economy in Europe," JD Vance said in a new critical charge against EU policies.
Viktor Orban is the best
Vance confirmed that the US wants to "return to trade" with Ukraine and Russia.
In turn, Viktor Orban reaffirmed his willingness to host a potential future summit for peace negotiations with Russia.
In response, JD Vance stated that the United States "does not like war," but emphasized how difficult it has been so far. "The question is: how do we stop it? And the answer does not come from politicians who sit in front of microphones, beat their chests, and act tough when other people's children go off to fight in a conflict; we stop it through sustained diplomacy," Vance said.
Viktor Orban "has been better than anyone in helping us understand what the Ukrainians need and what the Russians need to achieve peace," JD Vance stated.
"Viktor has played an important role in this regard, which is why the president asked him about the Budapest summit, because I believe that if we ever manage to bring these leaders together, this is the perfect place to do so, a place of true statecraft, a place that has shown itself very willing to be a positive force for peace," added the American Vice President.
Vance spoke of a "moral cooperation" between the Trump administration and Orban's Hungary, which "defends the values of Western civilization." He stated that this cooperation involves "defending Western civilization," while criticizing what he called "indoctrination" on gender-related issues.
"We rely on a certain Christian civilization and Christian values that animate everything, from freedom of speech to the rule of law, to respecting minority rights and protecting the vulnerable," Vance emphasized.