Bratislava: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in Slovakia on Sunday, marking a significant step in his European tour as he engages with countries led by right-wing allies of President Donald Trump. The tour includes a subsequent visit to Hungary.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, the visits follow Rubio’s call for Europeans to defend “Western civilisation” during his speech at the Munich Security Conference, where he urged support for President Trump’s vision of a global “renewal.” In Bratislava, Rubio is scheduled to meet with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico, a nationalist leader aligned with Trump. Despite recent reports from Politico citing concerns about Trump’s mental state, both Washington and Bratislava have denied such claims. Discussions between Fico and Trump have been described as “extremely important,” focusing on nuclear energy.
Following his visit to Slovakia, Rubio will proceed to Budapest for meetings with Hungarian officials, including Prime Minister Viktor Orban. President Trump has openly expressed his support for Orban, who faces a challenging election as his Fidesz party trails opposition leader Peter Magyar’s TISZA party. Orban’s political stance often mirrors Trump’s, and he is considered a European ally of Trump’s MAGA movement.
Orban’s recent speech emphasized his fight against “bought pseudo-civil organisations, journalists, judges and politicians.” His policies, particularly his positions on immigration and LGBTQ rights, have garnered admiration from American conservatives. Orban also plans to attend the inaugural meeting of Trump’s “Board of Peace” in Washington next week. His relationship with former President Joe Biden was notably strained, with Biden criticizing Orban’s approach to media and governance.
Energy discussions are expected to be a focal point for Rubio’s meetings in both Bratislava and Budapest. The US aims to strengthen energy ties with Slovakia and Hungary, both of which rely heavily on Russian fossil fuels and have clashed with the European Union over Russian gas imports. These Central European countries maintain warm relations with the Kremlin despite geopolitical tensions stemming from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.