Trump ready to renew conservative alliance with Hungary's Orban

26/4/2024 18:29

        Donald Trump is ready to renew a conservative alliance with Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, the U.S. Republican presidential candidate said in a video message on Friday.
        
        Orban has been one of Trump's closest allies in Europe, where comments by the former U.S. president suggesting he would not protect countries that failed to meet NATO defence spending commitments have raised nerves among leaders.
        
        A new Trump presidency could ease U.S. relations with Hungary, which has come under critiscim by Washington for its close ties to Russia and foot-dragging over the ratification of Sweden's NATO accession, which Budapest finally agreed to in February.
        
        Trump said, "I look forward to working closely with Prime Minister Orban once again when I take the oath of office as the 47th President of the United States," calling the Hungarian leader a "great man".
        
        Trump's message was broadcast at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), the United States' most prominent conservative gathering, in Budapest, the third such CPAC event in Hungary.