Vance accuses Ukraine of interfering in Hungary’s elections and backs Orbán
Photo: US Vice President J.D. Vance and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (Getty Images)
US Vice President JD Vance made a series of controversial statements about Ukraine and the European Union during his visit to Hungary. He openly expressed support for Viktor Orbán in the upcoming elections, according to a joint press conference of Orbán and Vance.
Accusations against Ukraine
According to Vance, Ukrainian intelligence allegedly has elements that "are trying to put their thumb on the scale of American elections, on Hungarian elections."
"This is just what they do. This is this is part of the the cost of doing business within some elements of their system," the vice president claims, effectively echoing Hungarian propaganda.
He also added that there were people within the Ukrainian system who, just a few weeks before the 2024 US presidential election, were "campaigning with Democrats."
Brussels — 'enemy'
Vance also took aim at the European Union, defending Orbán’s policies. He stated that "bureaucrats in Brussels" are trying to undermine Hungary purely out of personal hostility toward its leader.
"Bureaucrats in Brussels have tried to destroy the economy of Hungary. They have tried to make Hungary less energy independent. They have tried to drive up costs for Hungarian consumers," he said.
The vice president also accused the European Union of interfering in Hungary’s domestic politics.
'Peacekeeping' duo
Separately, Vance compared Orbán to US President Donald Trump, stating that the two leaders have done the most to bring an end to the war in Ukraine.
According to the vice president, he believes Orbán will win the upcoming elections.
He also argued that those who accuse Orbán of taking a pro-Russian stance were themselves the ones who initially created an energy-weak economy in Europe. In his view, this led to a situation where "Ukraine became weak, and Russia became strong."
Vance’s visit
Vance arrived in Hungary just days before the parliamentary elections.
So far, things are not going very well for Viktor Orbán. According to opinion polls, he is trailing Péter Magyar, an opposition figure and the main challenger to the pro-Russian prime minister.
