Hungary's Orbán seeks to revive Trump-Putin summit in White House visit
by Danielle Haynes & Lisa Hornung · UPINov. 7 (UPI) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán visited the White House Friday for a summit with President Donald Trump and lavished praise on the president while disparaging former President Joe Biden.
"The reason why we are here, to open a new chapter between the bilateral relation between the United States and Hungary basically because during the Democrat administration everything was rigged," Orbán said, according to The Hill.
"Everything was basically broke, ruined, cancelled. A lot of harm done by the previous administration," he said. "You've improved the bilateral relationship. You repaired what was done badly by the previous administration, so now we are in quite a good position to open up a new chapter. Let's say a golden age between the United States and Hungary."
Orbán wants Trump to come to Budapest and to meet with Russia President Vladimir Putin about the Ukraine war. Trump has already canceled one meeting, saying he didn't want to "have a waste of time."
Orbán also came to the White House to ask Trump to give Hungary an exception to the sanctions on buying Russian oil. The president said he might exempt Hungary from those sanctions.
He also called on European leaders to be more respectful of Orbán, who has faced battles with them over migration, democracy and rule of law.
"I think they should respect Hungary and respect this leader very, very strongly because he's been right on immigration," Trump said.
Hungary claims it must buy Russian oil because it has no other viable source.
"We're looking at it because it's very difficult for him to get the oil and gas from other areas," Trump said. "It's a big country, but they don't have sea. They don't have the ports. And so they have a difficult problem."
He also accused other European countries of buying Russian oil and gas. They "don't have those problems, and they buy a lot of oil and gas from Russia. And, as they know, I'm very disturbed by that."
Trump and Orbán are both conservative leaders who share similar values, including a dislike of immigration.
"Look what's happened to Europe with the immigration. They have people flooding Europe," Trump said. "You go to some of the countries, they're unrecognizable now because of what they've done. And Hungary is very recognizable."
Orbán defended his migration policies, blaming Europe.
"This is the absurd world we are living in now in Europe," Orbán said. "We are the only government in Europe which considers itself as a Christian government. All the other governments in Europe are basically liberal leftist governments."
In September, Trump lifted travel restrictions against Hungarians, readmitting them to the Visa Waiver program. Biden had added restrictions against Hungarians when he learned that Budapest was granting Hungarian citizenship without adequate security measures.
The Guardian reported that at Friday's meeting, Orbán was expected to try to set up another meeting between the two leaders not only to broker peace in Ukraine, but to also boost his own standing as a statesman.
Citing insiders, the news outlet said the far-right leader is facing stiff opposition ahead of April's parliamentary elections, and a visit from Trump would potentially boost support among conservatives.
"Orbán wants Trump to come to Budapest before the elections," an unnamed source working in the Hungarian government told The Guardian. "This is a top priority. They will discuss the Russian gas issue, but the thing Orbán cares about the most is the elections."
In a post on X on Thursday, Orbán said Trump's first 10 months back in office have repaired the relationship between the United States and Hungary. He said the Biden administration damaged that relationship through "politically motivated sanctions."
"Our goal is to establish a strategic partnership that includes energy cooperation, investments, defense collaboration, and discussions on the post-war landscape following the Russia-Ukraine conflict," Orbán wrote.
"We are working on an agreement based on mutual benefits -- one that serves the interests of every Hungarian citizen."
Trump told reporters last week that Orbán wants an exemption from the oil and gas sanctions.
"We haven't granted one, but he has asked," Trump said aboard Air Force One. "He's a friend of mine. He's asked for an exemption."