President Trump is set to meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Florida on Thursday, just days after Orban's meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, according to sources familiar with the matter. This visit is likely to raise concerns about Orban's role as a potential intermediary between Putin and Trump.
During Trump’s first term, he and Putin expressed mutual admiration, drawing bipartisan criticism. Recently, Trump has suggested he could negotiate an end to the Ukraine war and secure the release of Americans detained in Russia if re-elected. Despite these claims, sources say Trump has not asked Orban to facilitate a Ukraine-Russia peace deal.
Orban will visit Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort following the NATO summit in Washington. Orban's Moscow trip was a key discussion point at the summit, where allies committed additional air defenses to Ukraine. Orban also met with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week, following a visit to Azerbaijan earlier this month.
The Trump campaign and the Hungarian government have not commented on the upcoming meeting. Hungary assumed the EU’s rotating presidency on July 1, and EU officials have criticized Orban's travels, arguing they undermine the bloc's stance on global issues. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg emphasized that Orban's Moscow visit was not on behalf of NATO, noting that different NATO allies have varied interactions with Moscow.
Trump and Orban have maintained a close relationship, with Orban visiting Mar-a-Lago in March for a tour, dinner with First Lady Melania Trump, a meeting with senior aides, and musical performance. Joe Biden has criticized Orban, accusing him of undermining democracy and favoring dictatorship.
The Biden administration has also condemned Orban's friendly relations with Putin and Hungarian legislation that the State Department claims could intimidate and punish critics of Orban's government.
