April 7 - U.S. Vice President JD Vance used a joint news conference in Budapest to sharply criticize the European Union’s role in Hungary’s election campaign and to voice support for Prime Minister Viktor Orban, presenting him as an ally in defence of Western civilisation.
Below are the principal quotes delivered by Vance and Orban during the joint appearance.
Vance on the Hungarian election
Vance described actions he attributed to EU institutions as direct interference in Hungarian domestic politics. He said: "What has happened in this country, what has happened in the midst of this election campaign, is one of the worst examples of foreign election interference that I’ve ever seen or ever even read about ..."
He furthermore accused Brussels bureaucrats of economic measures aimed at penalizing Hungary and undermining its energy independence, asserting: "The 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, and they’ve done it all because they hate this guy [Orban] ... "
Explaining the rationale behind his presence in Hungary, Vance said: "Part of the reason why we’re here and part of the reason why the president of the United States sent me here is because that we think the amount of interference that’s come from the bureaucracy in Brussels has been truly disgraceful."
Vance on the Russia-Ukraine war
On the conflict in Ukraine, Vance praised Orban’s role in clarifying the needs of the parties involved: "Viktor (Orban) has been better than anybody at helping us understand what it is the Ukrainians need and what it is that the Russians need in order to achieve peace. We’re going to keep on working on that process ... "
He also alluded to intelligence operations and their reach into political processes, stating: "We’re certainly aware that there are elements within the Ukrainian intelligence services that tried to put their thumb on the scale of American elections, on Hungarian elections. This is just what they do ... "
Vance offered a critique of past European energy policy choices as an antecedent factor to the wider conflict, saying: "The seeds of this conflict were actually planted well before the fighting started. And they were planted when European leaders decided that they were going to go so deep into a particular energy economy that they were going to cut themselves off from oil and natural gas that came from the East. "That was a huge mistake then and it’s obvious that it’s a huge mistake now."
Vance on Iran
Turning to tensions involving Iran, Vance outlined what he characterized as two potential resolutions. He stated: "There are two pathways that this thing is ultimately going to end. First of all, the United States has largely accomplished its military objectives ..."
He described the first pathway as Iran choosing to integrate into the international system and abandon support for terrorism: "Pathway one is where the Iranians decide they’re going to be a normal country. They’re not going to fund terrorism anymore. They’re going to be part of the world system of commerce and exchange ..."
By contrast, Vance said a second pathway would involve continued Iranian support for terrorism and the attendant economic consequences: "Option B is if the Iranians don’t come to the table and they stay committed to terrorism, to terrorising their neighbours, not just Israel, but of course their Arab neighbours too, then the economic situation, Iran, is going to continue to be very, very bad."
Orban on the Russia-Ukraine war and peace prospects
Prime Minister Viktor Orban reiterated Hungary’s openness to facilitating diplomacy. He said Budapest remains prepared to host a summit between the United States and Russia should both sides find it necessary: "Hungary is still ready today: if the United States and the Russians believe that a peace summit between them is necessary, Budapest is still happy to host this meeting and stands ready to do so ..."
Orban also assessed the trajectory of European support for Ukraine, asserting that the strategy pursued to date has failed and that the balance of advantages had shifted: "The strategy under which Europeans have so far supported the Ukrainians in this war has come to an end — it has failed. What is happening now is that suddenly everything that the Russians have has gained in value.
"And suddenly they have found themselves in a much more favorable position than ever before, and the European pro‑war, pro‑Ukraine strategy has collapsed. "This is over; it’s just that right now we are focusing on the Hungarian elections rather than on Brussels. So I believe we will be facing a completely new situation after the Hungarian elections."
These statements constituted the central public remarks made by both figures at the Budapest briefing, reflecting strong critiques of EU actions, commentary on the conduct and causes of the Russia-Ukraine war, and contrasting visions for how tensions with Iran might resolve.
Because the remarks are direct quotations from the event, they stand as the clearest representation of the speakers' positions as expressed during the joint news conference.