Hungary Sees Pompeo Visit as Discrediting Orban Critics
- U.S., Hungary are negotiating a bilateral defense accord
- Defense deal would be hailed as a win for U.S. U-turn on Orban
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Hungary is touting a scheduled visit by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo next week as proof of its Western commitments and a show of support by the Trump administration, pushing back against scrutiny of the ex-communist country’s allegiance to NATO and the European Union.
Pompeo’s Monday visit, the first by an American secretary of State since 2011, comes after years of criticism that bordered on diplomatic isolation for Prime Minister Viktor Orban. U.S. officials had voiced concerns about the illiberal leader’s dismantling of democratic institutions and his overtures to Russia.