PM Orbán to travel to Washington very soon

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is set to travel to Washington once again in two weeks’ time, where he will attend the inaugural meeting of a newly established international body known as Donald Trump’s Peace Council.

The announcement was made during a public event in Szombathely, where Orbán briefly referred to the upcoming trip while addressing questions from the audience.

Viktor Orbán announced his Washington visit

According to the prime minister, the invitation came directly from US President Donald Trump, who personally asked him to attend the founding session of the council. Orbán later confirmed the visit in a social media post, noting that while he will be in Washington at the same time as Trump, the occasion is not a bilateral meeting but a multilateral event centred on the new organisation.

As HVG reported, the Peace Council was announced by Trump in mid-January as an alternative global forum aimed primarily at addressing the conflict in the Gaza Strip and managing the subsequent political transition. The initiative has been described by its supporters as a fresh approach to international conflict resolution, though critics view it as an attempt to sidestep existing global institutions, particularly the United Nations.

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Only two European countries joined Trump’s council

So far, Hungary and Bulgaria are the only European countries to have joined the initiative. Telex writes that Orbán was among the first leaders to signal his support, having already appeared among the founding signatories during an earlier meeting in Davos. While many European leaders have remained sceptical, the Hungarian prime minister has openly embraced the project.

Further details revealed since the announcement suggest that member states would initially receive three-year memberships. However, countries willing to pay a one-off contribution of one billion dollars in the first year could secure permanent membership. Under the proposed structure, Donald Trump would serve as the council’s lifelong president, retaining the position even after the end of his second presidential term. In the event of tied votes, Trump’s decision would be final.

These plans have raised concerns among smaller states, which fear that the new body could weaken the already limited influence they hold within existing international frameworks. Despite these reservations, Orbán has continued to speak positively about the initiative, portraying it as a necessary shift in global leadership.

Will the prime minister be a frequent guest in the White House?

This will be Orbán’s second trip to Washington within a short period. His previous visit in November was heavily promoted by the Hungarian government as a diplomatic success, with claims that Trump had offered Hungary a form of financial protection. However, Trump later publicly denied making such a promise, undercutting the narrative presented by Budapest.

Beyond the Peace Council, Orbán has also expressed a desire for Trump to visit Hungary in the future, suggesting that such a trip would be both symbolic and beneficial. He has repeatedly argued that Trump represents a new style of leadership capable of reshaping global politics — a view that continues to set him apart from most European leaders.