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Hungarian government rejects claims that Orbán criticised Trump over new Russia sanctions
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will travel to the United States next week to discuss the implications of recent remarks by Matt Whitaker, the US ambassador to NATO, who said Washington expects countries such as Hungary to draw up plans to end their reliance on Russian oil and gas. Orbán, speaking to Italian news outlet La Repubblica during a visit to the Vatican, said he would “soon be meeting with Trump to resolve the issue of oil sanctions,” adding that without Russian energy, Hungarian prices would “skyrocket” and that Trump "made a mistake" with imposing sanctions on Moscow. He said he would “try to find a way out, especially for Hungary.” Hungary's Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó confirmed that the government is examining “what exactly these decisions mean legally and physically” but said the new US sanctions have not yet affected Hungary’s energy supply.
Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political director, accused La Repubblica of publishing misinformation. In a post on X, he said: “Fake news strikes again — the goal is clear: to divide and weaken the leaders who stand for peace,” claiming the newspaper had “put words in Prime Minister Orbán’s mouth that he never said.” According to him, Orbán merely stated that he would discuss the sanctions with Trump in Washington and warned that Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy made price spikes likely.
Israeli PM’s son praises Hungary as a "bastion of freedom Western civilization"
Jair Netanyahu, the son of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, praised Viktor Orbán’s government during a visit to Budapest for the Pro-Israel Summit organised by the Centre for Fundamental Rights. Speaking to Hungarian public media, he said that under Orbán’s leadership Hungary had become “a bastion of freedom and Western civilisation,” according to the state news agency MTI. The right-wing influencer, who previously received 2.8 million forints for taking part in a one-hour panel hosted by the government funded Mathias Corvinus Collegium last year, returned to Hungary at the invitation of another pro-government organisation.
In an interview with Hungarian state tv, Netanyahu said that both Israel and Hungary had become targets of Brussels because they oppose “globalist, anti-nationalist tendencies” and defend “our common Judeo-Christian roots.” The Hungarian and Israeli leaders have maintained close ties.
Orbán to create a Ukraine-skeptic bloc with Slovakia and Czech Republic
Hungary wants to join forces with the Czech Republic and Slovakia to form an Ukraine-skeptic alliance within the EU, Balázs Orbán, Viktor Orban's political director told Politico. The Hungarian prime minister hopes to join forces with Andrej Babiš, whose right-wing populist party won the Czech parliamentary elections, and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico to coordinate their positions ahead of EU meetings, including discussions prior to summits.
"While a firm political alliance remains some way off, the formation could significantly impede the EU’s efforts to support Ukraine financially and militarily," Politico notes.
“I think it will come, and be more and more visible," said Orbán when asked whether the Ukraine-skeptical alliance would begin to function as a coordinated bloc in the European Council. "It worked very well during the migration crisis. That’s how we could resist," he said of the V4 group .
Hungary falls six places on global rule of law ranking
Hungary has slipped six places in the World Justice Project’s 2025 Rule of Law Index, continuing a decade-long trend that has placed it alongside countries such as Brazil, Thailand, and Uzbekistan. The index, which measures 143 nations on factors such as government accountability, corruption, and fundamental rights, ranks Denmark first, followed by Norway and Finland. At the bottom are Venezuela, Afghanistan, and Cambodia.
Hungary performed best in order and security, scoring 0.89, but ranked near the bottom in constraints on government powers, with a score of 0.35,placing it 123rd, only four spots above Afghanistan. The report highlights a steady erosion in Hungary’s standing: once ranked 36th in 2015, the country now sits in the lower middle of the global table, reflecting persistent concerns over the concentration of political power and weakening checks and balances.