US Vice President meets Hungary's Orban, backs him ahead of elections

US Vice President JD Vance on Tuesday met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban after arriving in Budapest to support his reelection bid.

In his meeting with Orban, Vance said that the relationship between Hungary and the US is “very important to us,” calling the Hungarian prime minister “one of the only true statesmen in Europe, one of the few people who could talk to people from all over the world, can play the role of peacemaker.”

Stressing that the two nations have a lot of great economic and trade relationships, Vance said: “It's very, very important to us that we continue to keep this relationship ongoing.”

EU 'interference'

At a news conference with Orban, Vance accused Brussels of punishing Hungary for its choice of leader, saying EU bureaucrats had "done everything that they can to hold down the people of Hungary."

He called the EU's actions "one of the worst examples of foreign and election interference that I've ever seen," specifically targeting Brussels for allegedly directing social media companies on what information to show Hungarian voters.

"I won't tell the people of Hungary how to vote. I would encourage the bureaucrats in Brussels to do the exact same thing," Vance said, adding that he was in Budapest to celebrate what he called "moral cooperation" representing "the defense of Western civilization."

Vance also praised Orban as "the single most profound leader in Europe on the question of energy, energy security and independence," saying his approach could serve as a model for the continent.

Ukraine, peace

On the Russia-Ukraine war, Vance blamed its outbreak on the previous US administration and argued that US President Donald Trump and Orban had done the most to bring it to a resolution through diplomacy.

He said the conflict's roots lay in European leaders cutting themselves off from eastern oil and gas supplies, a decision he called "a huge mistake then, and it's obvious that it's a huge mistake now."

Earlier in the day, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto met Vance and his wife, Usha, in the Hungarian capital.

Ahead of the April 12 parliamentary elections, Vance is expected to join Orban at a campaign rally.

Before departing from Washington, Vance said he is "looking forward to seeing my good friend Viktor and we'll talk about any number of things related to the US-Hungary relationship," as well as broader issues such as Europe and Ukraine.

Trump endorsed Orban in a social media post, praising him as a "strong and powerful" leader.

According to Bloomberg News, Hungary "will reach a deal to buy oil from the US" during Vance's visit to Budapest. The deal is worth around $500 million, it added.