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This is when Trump may visit Budapest to bolster Orbán ahead of 2026 elections
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Donald Trump could make a rare appearance in Central Europe, potentially boosting Viktor Orbán’s chances in Hungary’s 2026 elections. The former US president might visit the region either to mediate peace between Ukraine and Russia or to strengthen ties with his new political ally, Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Both Budapest and Bratislava (Pozsony) have expressed interest in hosting peace talks, though it seems implausible such negotiations would occur in a NATO country. Vienna appears a more likely candidate.
The Hungarian government is eager to host Trump in Budapest, but insiders suggest this would only be realistic ahead of Hungary’s 2026 general election.
Orbán and Trump: An unlikely bromance
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been one of Trump’s longest-standing international supporters, endorsing him in 2015, long before Trump became the Republican Party’s official nominee. Over the past few years, the Hungarian government has poured significant resources into cultivating its relationship with Trump and his allies. We covered what we know about it in THIS article. After Trump’s election victory, the relationship seemed to bear fruit: the former president reportedly called Orbán on 6 November to discuss efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Orbán proudly reported that Trump called him on 6 November:
However, the Orbán-Trump alliance is not without its tensions. Despite Orbán’s repeated assurances to his supporters that Trump’s presidency would swiftly end the conflict in Ukraine and lift what he described as “harmful” sanctions, Trump has suggested harsher penalties against Russia if the war continues. This divergence has raised questions about the practical limits of their political alignment.
A meeting in Budapest: not a simple task
Despite Orbán’s well-publicised ties to Trump, arranging a visit to Budapest is proving challenging. While the Hungarian government has already offered the capital as a venue for peace talks, this proposal remains unlikely. We wrote HERE about a Russian senator who thought it was a good idea. Hosting a meeting between Russia and the United States in a NATO member state is viewed as implausible; Vienna, or even non-NATO countries like Türkiye or Qatar, seems a far more feasible option.
According to Szabolcs Panyi, writing in the latest VSquare newsletter, Trump is indeed planning a European trip but is more likely to visit Meloni in Italy, with possible stops in Paris and Berlin depending on Germany’s upcoming elections. However, Türkiye or Qatar is also likely for a Trump-Putin meeting. Budapest, it seems, is lower on the agenda.
Hungary may be the only country on this planet where an appearance by convicted criminal and coup plotter Donald Trump could bolster the electoral chances of a leader and that says something about how Fidesz propaganda has shaped the mindset of Hungarians. Someone might suggest Israel but I very much doubt Trump would do much to help Netanyahu.