DW News · Feb 15, 2026 · Collected from RSS
The US Secretary of State is on a two-day trip to Slovakia and Hungary, whose leaders have close ties with Trump. Both countries are being courted to cut their reliance on Russia for energy in favor of US alternatives.
The United States' top diplomat Marco Rubio traveled to Eastern Europe on Sunday for talks with the conservative leaders of Hungary and Slovakia, both of whom are aligned with US President Donald Trump. The visit comes a day after Rubio, who is also Trump’s national security advisor, urged Europeans to defend “Western civilization” in a speech at the Munich Security Conference. Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Slovakia’s Robert Fico are often viewed as disruptive voices within the European Union and have continued purchasing Russian energy despite Moscow’s war in Ukraine.Unpacking Marco Rubio's Munich Security Conference speechTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video What happened during Rubio's talks in Slovakia? In Bratislava, Rubio first met Slovak President Peter Pellegrini before discussions with nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico, who visited the White House last month.Pellegrini's office said in a statement that the pair discussed "defense cooperation and the fulfillment of commitments arising from NATO summits." Following talks with Fico, Rubio expanded on the warmer tone in transatlantic ties he displayed in Munich, saying, "We're not asking Europe to be a vassal of the United States." "We want to be your partner. We want to work with Europe. We want to work with our allies," the US diplomat added. Fico, meanwhile, told reporters he hoped a deal for US-based Westinghouse to build a new nuclear power plant in Slovakia would be signed in the coming year. Slovakia signed an agreement with the US on nuclear cooperation during Fico's Washington trip. Fico also said Slovakia is interested in buying another four F-16 fighter jets from the US to make 18 in total.The US firm Westinghouse has signed a deal to build a nuclear power plant in SlovakiaImage: Alex Brandon/REUTERS Rubio to meet Orban on Monday On Monday, Rubio will meet Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, whom Trump has described as a "strong and powerful man." Orban is facing a tough battle for reelection on April 12, with recent opinion polls suggesting he may lack the public support to win against opposition leader Peter Magyar's TISZA party. The Hungarian leader is often seen as a thorn in the EU's side, using his veto power and nationalist agenda to push back against deeper integration, migration and the bloc's Russia policy. On Saturday, he used a campaign speech to declare that Brussels was more of a threat to his country than Moscow. He has also offered asylum to EU lawmakers accused of corruption. Orban's rhetoric and politics often echo those of Trump and he has cast himself as a European friend of the US president's MAGA movement. Orban has also confirmed plans to travel to Washington next week to attend the inaugural meeting of Trump's "Board of Peace."Hungary's Viktor Orban delivered his annual State of the Nation speech on Saturday nightImage: Prime Minister's Press Office/Handout via REUTERS US seeks a boost in energy ties Ahead of the talks, US officials said Washington intends to strengthen energy ties with its two right-wing European allies. The US State Department said the trip would focus on energy cooperation and bilateral issues, including NATO commitments. Slovakia, along with Hungary, has so far diverged from Trump's demand that all NATO members significantly increase military spending to 5% of GDP, so far committing to the minimum threshold of 2%. Both countries depend heavily on Russian fossil fuels, leading to clashes with Brussels over the decision to cut EU reliance on imports from Moscow. The two nations have opposed efforts by EU states to send military aid to Ukraine. Both Orban and Fico have also clashed with Brussels over accusations they are backsliding on democratic rules.MSC chair: Trust in trans-Atlantic relations damagedTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Edited by: Louis Oelofse