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Secretary Rubio Holds a Joint Press Availability with Prime Minister Orban in Budapest, Feb. 16, 2026

February 16, 2026 · U.S. Department of State · 0:34:36

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What happened

Secretary of State Marco Rubio began his February 16, 2026 visit to Budapest by signing, with Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, the U.S.–Hungary Intergovernmental Agreement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation, then held a joint press availability with Prime Minister Viktor Orban, according to the State Department broadcast. Orban called the moment a “new golden age” in U.S.–Hungarian relations, citing 17 U.S. investments decided in Hungary since January 2025, restored visa-free travel for Hungarians, Hungary’s invitation to the Board of Peace, and energy agreements — including a U.S. exception allowing Hungary’s continued use of Russian gas and oil — that he said keep Hungarian energy cheap and secure. He renewed Hungary’s offer to host a Ukraine peace summit in Budapest and said President Trump holds a standing invitation.

Rubio agreed the relationship “is as close as I can possibly imagine it being” and “not just close rhetorically; it’s close in action,” pointing to the signed nuclear agreement and the 17 investments as evidence Hungary is not isolated. He thanked Orban for Hungary’s role on the Board of Peace “from the very first day” and said the two governments “haven’t even scratched the surface of what we can achieve together.” In questions, the availability ranged across Ukraine and the European Union, China, Hungary’s election and Russian energy, an Orban–Trump meeting and a tax treaty, and Iran, free speech and China, per the broadcast’s chapter markers.

Why it matters

The Budapest stop pairs a signed civil nuclear agreement with the administration’s closest European alignment: energy carve-outs, Board of Peace participation, and a standing peace-summit offer, all stated on the record by both leaders in the Secretary’s post-Munich swing through Central Europe.

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Sources: U.S. Department of State, “Secretary Rubio Holds a Joint Press Availability with Prime Minister Orban in Budapest” (official upload, embedded above); remarks as delivered 2026-02-16; transcript via state.gov as linked in the upload description and reviewed in the site’s private research store.