Orban flies to Washington. “It remains to be seen how much Trump's friendship is worth.”

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban needs more than just Donald Trump's warm words and friendship; he must prove that the relationship he has built with the US president can be translated into real results and actions – said the Telex portal on Friday, commenting on the conversation between both politicians scheduled for that day in Washington.

Telex recalled Trump's statement, who – when asked about Orban's words that he would seek to exempt Hungary from American sanctions on Russian oil companies – replied that Orban “asked for an exemption, we didn't grant it to him, but he is his friend.”

“This clearly shows that Friday's meeting will be extremely friendly from a political point of view. On the other hand, it may be tense from a practical, economic point of view,” the portal noted, adding that the American side is making it increasingly clear that it expects Hungary to limit imports of Russian energy as soon as possible.

In another comment on the visit, Telex noted that due to the fact that “Orbanism is becoming a flagship example of the departure from liberalism in world politics, next year's elections (parliamentary in Hungary – PAP) will be a high-stakes event even for leaders such as Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin.” The portal also assessed that Trump's attitude towards Orban is “conditional”, but for Putin his remaining in power is of fundamental importance.

“Taking into account Trump's chaotic policies and his businessman's mentality, it is doubtful whether Orban can turn good relations with the US president into specific political or economic results that could help him in the elections,” the authors of the article believe.

The Nepszava daily pointed out that Trump may demand that Orban remove the obstacles that Budapest poses to Ukraine's accession negotiations with the EU. “Although it would be beneficial, Orban cannot agree to it before the elections (scheduled for April 2026 – PAP). For now, he can only promise that he will consider this issue,” it was written.

“Orban, regardless of the actual result of the meeting (with Trump), will talk about his successes. He is facing serious problems in the country and needs every recognition like bread. Despite the expected beautiful words, one should be skeptical about the alleged new chapter in Hungarian-American relations,” the daily concluded.

The pro-government weekly “Mandiner” described Orban's visit to Washington as “the most important meeting of the Hungarian prime minister in his career.” Analyst Peter Siklosi quoted by the newspaper said that it could be a breakthrough in areas such as energy security, “war and peace” and the issue of sanctions (on Russian energy companies on which Hungary remains dependent – PAP).

“If the talks are successful, Hungary's prestige in Europe will increase significantly, and Budapest will be able to play a significant role in the peace process,” the analyst noted. The weekly also criticized the voices talking about his international isolation during Orban's visit to the USA.

Jakub Bawołek from Budapest (PAP)

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