Following high-level talks in Riyadh, a top U.S. envoy headed straight to Budapest, reinforcing Hungary’s role in ongoing peace efforts. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a steadfast Trump ally, has long championed negotiations to end the Ukraine conflict, and Budapest was even floated as a potential meeting site.
The U.S. Embassy in Budapest announced that Louis L. Bono, a senior official in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, met with Deputy Secretary of State Levente Magyar to discuss security, economic cooperation, and shared priorities. Bono reaffirmed America’s commitment to securing a “just, lasting, and sustainable” resolution to the war.
Magyar, described by Hungarian media as the right-hand man of Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, highlighted the importance of direct updates on the peace process. According to him, Bono described the U.S.-Russia discussions in Riyadh as a major breakthrough, with both sides aligning on the goal of ending hostilities.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio also signaled a shift in diplomatic tone, emphasizing a mutual desire to restore political and economic ties with Russia, including reopening embassies. Bono echoed this sentiment in his Budapest meetings, stressing that strengthening U.S.-Hungarian relations remains a priority.
“The Trump administration views our country as a particularly important partner,” Magyar emphasized, underscoring Hungary’s growing role on the international stage.
