J. D. Vance: We will cooperate with whoever wins the elections, but Viktor Orbán is going to win

The first stop of the Vice President of the United States during his visit to Budapest was the Prime Minister’s Office, where, following talks with Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, they held a joint press conference. Prior to answering a few questions from the press, both politicians made brief statements about why this visit is important for the relationship between the two countries.

Viktor Orbán began by stating that J. D. Vance is the highest ranking US politician to have visited Hungary in twenty years. The Prime Minister noted that Trump and Vance stand by Hungary, and then spoke about the many investments various American companies have recently made in Hungary, which are another proof of the two countries’ great relationship.

Orbán then spoke about the energy crisis affecting the whole world, but stressed that Hungary is thankful to have such a strong ally as the United States. He argued that without Hungarian-American cooperation, it would not be possible to defend the reduction of utility costs either. He and Vance also discussed the subject of peace: the Prime Minister stated that he is convinced that if Trump had been president in 2022, there would never have been a war between Russia and Ukraine. “If Brussels weren’t hindering the president’s peace efforts, there would already be peace,” he said.

Orbán said he also told J. D. Vance about there being a strong foreign intelligence interference in the elections in Hungary, and the two also discussed the state of Western civilization. They exchanged views and concluded that continuing cooperation is in the interest of both countries and that strategic cooperation between the two nations will continue in the future.

Vance started by mentioning that he and his wife had visited Budapest a few years ago, at which time his wife, Usha Vance was 20 weeks pregnant with their second child. “Now my wife is 20 weeks pregnant with our fourth child; it seems Hungary has this effect on us,” he said.

The vice president quickly moved on to this week's Hungarian election, saying that they are doing everything they can to ensure Viktor Orbán is re-elected. “Viktor Orbán is the most important leader when it comes to energy security,” he said.

Speaking about Orbán's leadership, the U.S. vice president said that this kind of leadership could serve as a model for the whole continent. In his view, Orbán has shown what a “more prosperous, energy-secure” Europe looks like. The VP praised the great partnership between the United States and Hungary, but also noted that he is not simply here because cooperation is good, but to ensure that there is even more of it going forward.

Under the leadership of Orbán and Trump, Western civilization has been defended, the VP said. According to him, their goal is for children to receive an education, not indoctrination; they are both guided by Christian values such as freedom of speech and the rule of law. Vance argued that both the United States and Hungary follow these principles, but there are few who stand up for Western civilization – that is, aside from them.

“I’m here because Viktor Orbán is a real statesman,” Vance said. In his view, Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump are the ones who have done the most to bring the Russian-Ukrainian war to an end. He then addressed “the ten million Hungarians” by telling them: “Your leader is much more constructive when it comes to peace than the leaders of many other countries.”

According to Vance, what happened during the election campaign in Hungary is the “worst example” of foreign interference. He claimed that the “Brussels bureaucrats” tried to interfere in the Hungarian elections, for example by driving up prices.They did so “because they hate this gentleman standing next to me”. However, “Viktor Orbán and I didn’t talk much about the campaign, but about what he needs to make the country flourish.” In his view, the U.S. president sent him here in response to the outrageous things the “Brussels bureaucracy” has tried to force on Hungary.

Answering a question from the press, Orbán said he spoke with J. D. Vance about the Russian-Ukrainian war, which Orbán described as a painful topic: “After all, we’re talking about a war between two Christian countries…and what’s more, on European soil.” Orbán pointed out that he holds Donald Trump in high regard, because of how devoted he is to putting an end to this horrible war.

Orbán then spoke about there also being ethnic Hungarians dying in the war in Ukraine. The PM recalled that there had previously been some discussion about a meeting between Moscow and Washington in Budapest, which Hungary had agreed to host from the outset. Orbán said the technical preparations had been made at the time, and “Hungary is still ready; if the United States and Russia believe that a peace summit between the two is necessary, Hungary is at their disposal.” A few seconds later, Orbán added: “That is all I can say.”

The same journalist asked J. D. Vance for his opinion about the Ukrainian president threatening the Hungarian PM, to which the US Vice President replied: “I’m not aware that President Zelenskyy threatened Viktor Orbán, but I know that many people have done so,” Vance said. In his view, the Hungarian Prime Minister has taken a good stance when it comes to the war in Ukraine, but the key question is how to bring it to an end.

“I'm not only asking the Hungarian people, but all peoples: what is the alternative to peace?” In Vance's view, the U.S. president is not fighting for peace because the Russian-Ukrainian war affects them so much, but because they know that war is bad, both in terms of human lives and the economy. “Viktor helped us understand what the Russians and Ukrainians need for peace,” he said. Vance said that he believes that a peace summit in Budapest could have made a meaningful contribution to peace.

Answering a question about Hungary’s and Europe’s energy security, Viktor Orbán said that Hungary’s situation is difficult right now, and he blames the Ukrainians for this, as they control the “umbilical cord of the Hungarian economy,” the Friendship oil pipeline. Orbán said that if they win the election, they will lift the Ukrainian blockade step by step. The Hungarian PM pointed out that the elections are narrowing “the horizon for us right now”, because “we, Hungarians, are interested in next Sunday’s election,” he said.

In response to a question from the press, Vance then claimed that the Ukrainian intelligence agencies have tried, and continue to try, to influence the outcomes of both the U.S. and Hungarian elections. According to him, there are people who accuse “his president” of being pro-Russian. “But he has done a lot to ensure that even countries that don’t have access to it can buy liquefied natural gas,” he said.

J. D. Vance promised that they will work with whoever wins the Hungarian elections, “because our relationship with Hungary is very important to us. But Viktor Orbán is going to win this election. Right? That’s our plan!” said the vice president.