Hungarian PM Orban to meet Trump on March 8 in Florida

FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban as he arrives at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 13, 2019. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo

BUDAPEST (Reuters) – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban will meet former U.S. President Donald Trump on March 8 in Florida, Orban’s press chief told Hungarian state news agency MTI late on Sunday.

Last month nationalist Orban endorsed Trump’s bid to return to the U.S. presidency this year.

“We hope the current president will go, and President Trump will return and he will have free hands to make peace (in Ukraine),” Orban said on Feb. 23.

Orban has refused to send weapons to Ukraine to help it fight off Russia’s invasion, and has criticised Western sanctions against Russia. He has repeatedly urged a ceasefire in Ukraine to end the war.

The Hungarian premier, in power since 2010, has faced tensions with with President Joe Biden’s administration, mainly over Budapest’s foot-dragging concerning the ratification of Sweden’s NATO membership.

After a long delay, Hungarian parliament last week approved Sweden’s NATO bid, and now the legislation only waits a final sign off by the Hungarian President this week.

Orban has said the next U.S. presidential election this year and the vote for the European Parliament in June would be crucial as conservatives in Europe and the U.S. must fight together to “reconquer” institutions in Washington and Brussels from liberals who – as Orban said – threaten Western civilisation.

(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Kim Coghill and Sephen Coates)