A joint press conference was held in Budapest with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, during which statements were made regarding the war in Ukraine and the future of bilateral relations between the countries.
This is reported by Kyiv24
Rubio’s Statements on the War in Ukraine
Marco Rubio emphasized that the United States is making every effort to end the war in Ukraine and is facilitating dialogue between the parties to the conflict. He highlighted that the U.S. has organized negotiations despite some criticism from the international community regarding President Donald Trump’s approach to resolving the situation.
“The U.S. has brought the parties to the negotiating table… People criticize President Trump’s attempts. The international community condemns. But we are trying to continue playing our positive role. We hope that the war will end – the sooner, the better.”
The U.S. Secretary of State also expressed his belief that the war would not have started if Donald Trump had remained in office and noted that Washington aims to stop the fighting as soon as possible.
Support from Hungary and the ‘Golden Era’ of Cooperation
Marco Rubio thanked Viktor Orban for his contribution to the peace process and acknowledged his leadership qualities. He stated that the relations between the U.S. and Hungary are entering a “golden era,” which opens new opportunities for cooperation and joint development.
According to Rubio, the Trump administration supports Hungary’s success, considering it important for the national interests of the United States, especially under Orban’s current leadership.
Viktor Orban, in turn, confirmed that Hungary continues to support U.S. peacekeeping initiatives to end the war in Ukraine. He also emphasized that Budapest remains open to hosting a peace summit.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, during Marco Rubio’s visit, also referred to the current stage of relations between the countries as a “new golden age.”
The U.S. Secretary of State’s visit is ongoing as of February 16. Prior to this, he visited Slovakia and participated in a security conference in Munich.