U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio launched a diplomatic visit to Slovakia and Hungary to reinforce relations with conservative leaders closely aligned with President Donald Trump, addressing energy, defense and bilateral cooperation just days after key U.S.–Europe security discussions.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Secretary of State Marco Rubio began a two-day visit to Eastern Europe on Sunday, seeking to bolster diplomatic ties with Slovakia and Hungary—nations led by conservative governments often at odds with broader European Union positions yet maintaining strong relationships with President Donald Trump.
Rubio’s itinerary is designed to focus on energy cooperation, bilateral economic cooperation and commitments to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, according to the U.S. State Department announcement.
“These are countries that are very strong with us, very cooperative with the United States,” Rubio told reporters before departing Washington, highlighting the strategic importance of the trip.
Rubio’s visit comes on the heels of his participation in the Munich Security Conference, where he underscored transatlantic ties amid deepening geopolitical volatility in Europe.
In Slovakia’s capital of Bratislava on Sunday, Rubio met with President Peter Pellegrini and was scheduled for talks with Prime Minister Robert Fico, who traveled to Florida last month to meet with Trump. Bloomberg and Reuters dispatches indicate the meetings will underscore defense commitments, nuclear energy cooperation and bilateral ties.
On Monday, Rubio is expected to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a key European ally of Trump whose conservative agenda on immigration, traditional families and Christian values has won admiration among many American hard-right observers.
Rubio said U.S. support for Orban remains strong, emphasizing the importance of bilateral visits as opposed to multilateral negotiation frameworks.
Both Fico and Orban have faced criticism from other EU member states for clashes with EU institutions over democratic norms and human rights concerns, and their governments have often resisted EU sanctions and measures against Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Despite broader EU efforts to diversify energy supplies, Slovakia and Hungary have continued to import Russian gas and oil, attracting criticism from the United States and other Western partners. Rubio is expected to raise energy cooperation as part of his discussions, though details remain limited.
Fico, who has referred to the EU as being in “deep crisis,” has praised Trump’s leadership and advocated for expanded U.S.-Slovak partnerships, including in civil nuclear energy development.
Hungary and Slovakia have also diverged from U.S. calls for all NATO members to significantly boost defense spending, maintaining levels that meet NATO’s minimum 2 percent threshold but falling short of previous U.S. aspirations for higher targets.
Rubio’s diplomatic outreach highlights ongoing efforts by the United States to reaffirm alliances, navigate internal EU tensions and address shared security concerns just weeks after the Munich conference and ahead of further strategic talks on regional defense and energy cooperation.
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