The Hungarian prime minister said on Wednesday that Trump “owes” Hungary a visit after the government in Budapest openly supported him during the U.S. presidential election campaign, according to Népszava as reported by Polish Press Agency.

Orbán stressed that he is actively urging the American leader to come—and that he has already “given him dates,” presenting the visit not merely as a symbolic gesture but as something he wants to pin down concretely. In his framing, a trip would be a political “payback” for Budapest’s earlier backing.

The context is broader than diplomatic protocol. For months, a scenario has circulated in which Budapest could serve as a venue for talks related to the war in Ukraine—including a possible Trump–Putin meeting. In autumn 2025, reports suggested such discussions might take place in Hungary’s capital, though no meeting ultimately happened. Trump was also quoted as saying he would hold talks once he believed they could end in an agreement.

Orbán’s ties with Trump have been intensive and multi-layered. In November 2025, they met in Washington, including a visit to the White House that received wide international coverage. At the same time, Orbán has signaled readiness to play a mediating role in contacts between the West and Russia—a stance that has been controversial for parts of the European Union.

The Russia thread returns as well in reports of Orbán’s contacts with Vladimir Putin. At the end of November 2025, European outlets reported plans for his trip to Moscow and talks with the Russian leader. In early January 2026, Orbán also said it was “not a good time” for Putin to visit Budapest—an indication of how carefully Hungary calibrates its signals in relations with Russia.

An invitation for Trump to visit Hungary also appears in official-style messaging. In early January 2026, Reuters reported on a letter from Trump to Orbán in which he thanked him for the invitation and indicated his team would get in touch to set a date. A similar narrative was carried by European media, including Euronews, while Al Jazeera also covered earlier reporting around their meeting.

For Orbán, the issue has a domestic political dimension too: Hungary has been heading into a spring 2026 election campaign, and a visit by a sitting U.S. president would be a powerful image-boosting moment. That is why his language about a “debt” and “dates already given” can be read not only as diplomatic pressure, but also as a bid to shape public attention—at home and abroad.