Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto (R) welcomes US Vice President JD Vance (C-R) and his wife US second lady Usha Vance (C-L) as they arrive at Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport in Budapest, Hungary, April 7, 2026
U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived Tuesday in the Hungarian capital to deliver a message of support from Donald Trump to his ally, nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, ahead of the tightly contested parliamentary elections.
"We'll talk about any number of things related to the U.S.-Hungary relationship," Vance told reporters as he left Andrews Air Force Base near Washington on April 6. "Obviously, I'm sure Europe and Ukraine and all the other stuff will figure in pretty prominently."
Vance is scheduled to meet with Orban and also deliver a speech focusing on "the rich partnership between the United States and Hungary," according to a statement from his office.
His visit follows that of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in mid-February, who wished his Hungarian ally "success" in the April 12 election, when Orban faces the most serious challenge to his 16-year rule.
Vance is one of the US administration's fiercest critics of centrist and progressive European governments and one of the most fervent supporters of far-right parties in Europe.
