US President Donald Trump is committed to the success of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán because his leadership and relationship with Trump are crucial to US interests, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Monday, offering strong support to the nationalist leader who faces a difficult election in April.

“President Trump is deeply committed to your success, because your success is our success,” Rubio said, standing alongside Orbán.

“It’s because we want you to continue, because we want this economy to prosper, we want this country to do well. It’s in our national interest. Especially as long as you’re the prime minister and the leader of this country, it’s in our national interest for Hungary to be successful,” Rubio said.

whom he called “a truly strong and powerful leader” in a social media post last week.

The Republican leader has repeatedly demonstrated his support for conservative leaders around the world, most recently by endorsing Argentina’s Javier Milei and Japan’s Sanae Takaichi.

US strengthens ties with Orbán

“We are entering this golden age of relations between our countries, and not just because of the affinity of our people, but also because of the relationship you have with the president of the United States,” Rubio said.

The vote will have important implications for Europe and the

Many on the American right hold him up as a model for Trump’s strict immigration policies and support for Christian conservatism.

Rubio, who is also Trump’s national security adviser, was on the second leg of a two-day trip to Slovakia and Hungary, countries whose conservative leaders are close to Trump and critical of the European Union.

In both countries, Rubio has promised to strengthen ties at a time when Washington’s relations with larger European allies such as France and Germany are under strain.

Rubio praises Orbán as Western Europe shifts focus

Trump’s criticism of Europe, imposition of tariffs on EU countries and ambition to acquire Greenland from NATO member Denmark have led Western European leaders to consider pursuing a more independent path.

At the Munich Security Conference over the weekend, Rubio delivered a message of unity but also maintained the administration’s criticism of Europe after a year that has damaged transatlantic relations.

Rubio stated that the outcome of Hungary’s elections depended on voters, but repeatedly praised Orbán’s “extraordinarily strong” relationship with the US, saying it brought “tangible benefits” to bilateral ties.

“If you face financial difficulties, if you face obstacles to growth, if you face things that threaten the stability of your country, I know that President Trump will be very interested, because of the relationship you have with him and the importance of this country to us, in finding ways to provide assistance if that time comes,” Rubio said.

Orbán has struggled to revive Hungary’s economy since inflation soared following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, and growth has been stagnant for three years.

He has cut taxes, raised wages and promoted cheap home loans to bolster his popularity in the polls, at the cost of a larger budget deficit, inflationary risks and lost progress in slowly reducing one of the European Union’s biggest debts.

Both Orbán and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico