PM Orbán claimed Trump promised financial shield for Hungary — but the U.S. President denies it

In mid-November, Viktor Orbán returned from Washington after a working lunch with President Trump. Although neither the White House nor Trump’s team issued any official statements or social media posts about the meeting, the Hungarian Prime Minister spoke of major agreements and a warm atmosphere. On his way home, he announced that the United States had provided Hungary with a financial shield — not a loan, but a form of internationally recognised financial assistance.

PM Orbán talked about American financial shield provided for Hungary

Orbán explained that the American-backed financial shield consists of four or five international monetary instruments used by friendly nations to support one another in times of trouble. These tools are jointly employed by central banks and governments, he added.

The Prime Minister emphasised that if the Hungarian forint were to face speculative attacks — a recurrent problem — these instruments would be activated. However, he also said that these tools are currently being reviewed and mapped out in detail. Should the need arise, Hungary could formally apply to the U.S. and draw upon these resources.

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In an interview with ATV, Orbán said he had shaken hands with Trump on an understanding: if Hungary encounters any financial difficulties, it could access one of these four or five internationally recognised, transparent, and publicly known instruments. Of course, this would require further negotiations with the American President.

Later in the same interview, Orbán specified the amount Hungary might need in such a scenario — roughly 10 to 20 billion dollars — which he described as relatively insignificant from America’s perspective. He firmly denied that Hungary would require aid similar to Argentina’s, stressing the strength of the forint. A summary of the interview can be found on the Prime Minister’s official website.

“No, I didn’t promise him”, Trump remembers

In essence, Orbán and Trump appear to have struck a deal signalling that, should trouble arise, America would come to the aid of its European “little brother” and ideological ally. Their relationship dates back to 2015, when Orbán became the first world leader to endorse Trump’s presidential ambitions during the Republican primaries.

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However, this narrative seems far from the full story — at least not as Orbán presented it at home. On Politico’s The Conversation podcast, when Dasha Burns asked Trump about the alleged financial shield, he replied: “No, I didn’t promise him, but he certainly asked for it.” Trump then praised Orbán for his strong stance on immigration but did not confirm any promise of financial support should Hungary run into trouble.

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Orbán cabinet’s response on Trump’s remarks

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó also dismissed any talk of a $20 billion deal during the Trump–Orbán meeting, saying: “I was present at the discussion between Donald Trump and Viktor Orbán, where no agreement on $20 billion was reached, nor did anyone claim that it was.” According to him, the leaders merely discussed the possibility of a new form of financial cooperation that could offer protection.