US Vice President JD Vance arrived in Hungary on Tuesday in a show of support for Prime Minister Viktor Orban ahead of parliamentary elections, as the war involving Iran continues to dominate global politics.
Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto welcomed Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, in the capital Budapest, according to footage released from the official reception ceremony.
During his two-day visit, Vance is scheduled to meet Orban before the April 12 elections and is expected to attend a campaign rally alongside the Hungarian premier.
Before departing from Washington, Vance said he is “looking forward to seeing my good friend Viktor, and we'll talk about any number of things related to the US-Hungary relationship," as well as broader issues such as Europe and Ukraine.
Vance is expected to make an appearance alongside Orban at a joint news conference on Tuesday afternoon and join him for a rally on “the Hungarian-American Friendship Day.”
Earlier, US President Donald Trump endorsed Orban in a social media post, praising him as a "strong and powerful" leader.
According to Bloomberg News, Hungary "will reach a deal to buy oil from the US" during Vance's visit to Budapest. The deal is worth around $500 million, it added.
War on Iran
A day earlier, when asked about Vance's possible role in negotiations with Tehran, Trump said he “could be” involved in in-person Iran-related talks with “officials” in the coming days.
The trip comes amid an ongoing US-Israeli war on Iran since February 28.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel as well as Jordan, Iraq, and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
It has also restricted the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
