US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s East Europe tour took center stage in Budapest on its second day, where he inked a pivotal civil-nuclear pact alongside Hungary’s top diplomat. The event culminated in a joint briefing with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, where Rubio reminded the audience of a key concession: the Trump administration’s one-year waiver on US bans targeting Russian energy imports to Hungary.
Speaking directly, Rubio attributed this to the ‘strong personal relationship’ between Trump and Orban. ‘We extended it because we seek your economic growth and national progress—it’s mutually beneficial under your leadership,’ he explained. This came against the backdrop of Hungary’s steadfast use of Russian oil and gas post-2022 Ukraine invasion, drawing ire from fellow EU and NATO members who pushed for diversification.
Rubio masterfully wove US support into his narrative, contrasting it with broader Western pushback. On pressing issues like Iran and China, he advocated pragmatic diplomacy. Dismissing blanket disengagement from Beijing, Rubio noted, ‘No nation operates in a vacuum—geography and history demand nuance.’ He revealed plans for President Trump’s April visit to China, stressing the necessity of talks with a nuclear-armed economic giant. ‘Ignoring each other would be madness,’ he quipped, confident that tensions are ‘manageable.’
Orban reciprocated by spotlighting 17 Trump-era US investments as foundational to a ‘golden era’ of friendship. Rubio reinforced this, touting America’s role in fostering stability—from Russia-Ukraine peace talks where the US alone can broker both sides, to tentative Iran dealings despite its ideological rigidity. The visit cements a US strategy of selective alliances, rewarding loyalty with flexibility in a turbulent world.