Immediately after the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Slovakia and then to Hungary.
This is no coincidence: in both countries, the prime ministers govern in a way that appeals to Donald Trump – they are Eurosceptic, hostile to immigration, and climate change is not an issue for them.
The Trump administration has also supported other right-wing governments and parties in Europe. However, some distanced themselves from Trump when he threatened to take Greenland, which belongs to Denmark, by force if necessary.
Viktor Orban: "Spiritual brother"
Viktor Orbán has been in power since 2015, including during Donald Trump's first term (2017–2021). Orbán has called him his ideological "spiritual brother." This applies to almost all areas of their policy.
While former US President Joe Biden accused Orban of “aiming for dictatorship” because he suppresses independent media and opposes LGBTQ rights, Trump recently praised him as “a true friend, a fighter and a winner.” Trump and Rubio are particularly supportive of Orban now in the campaign for parliamentary elections in April, which Orban could lose.
Orban also supports Trump's policy of significantly reducing or halting military aid to Ukraine – unlike, for example, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Like Trump, Orban has no problem meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin and refuses to place clear blame for the war on Russia.
Within the European Union, Orban is an outsider. He maintains close ties with the Alternative for Germany (AfD), which has been classified in parts by the German Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution as an extremist party.
A year ago, Orban received AfD leader Alice Weidel at his official residence and declared that it was "absolutely clear that the AfD is the future."
On the Greenland issue, Orban remained reserved. He avoided directly condemning Trump, saying that the problem should be resolved within NATO.
Robert Fico: A Contradictory Figure
Rubio visited Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico immediately after the security conference. In Bratislava, he said that under President Trump, the United States will "make not only Slovakia, but all of Central Europe a central component of our engagement on the continent and in the world."
He did not provide specific information about this. Along with Orban, Fico is considered one of Trump's closest allies in the EU. Fico leads a tough anti-immigration policy. In 2016, he declared: "Islam has no place in Slovakia."
He stopped arms deliveries to Ukraine and called Ukrainians, who were attacked by Russia, "Nazis and fascists."
But Fico's policy toward the United States is contradictory. During his first term from 2006 to 2010, he sought closer ties with countries like Russia, China, Venezuela and Cuba.
In late January 2026, an article in Politiko magazine caused a stir, citing unnamed European diplomats. It said that Fico had allegedly said on the sidelines of an EU summit that Trump had “lost his mind.” Both Fico and the White House vehemently denied the allegations as “lies” and “fake news.”
Alice Weidel: An outcast who gains support
It's been a year since US Vice President J.D. Vance harshly criticized Europeans at the 2025 Munich Security Conference. He said that Europeans were stifling freedom of speech and allowing destructive migration that the European population did not want.
Then Vance provoked the political center parties in Germany: he demonstratively met with AfD co-chair Alice Weidel – who had not been invited to the conference – while ignoring then-chancellor Olaf Scholz of the SPD. This was a strong boost for a party with which the center parties do not want to cooperate.
Things got complicated when Trump insisted on taking over Greenland. Since then, the party has somewhat rhetorically distanced itself from him.
George Meloni: Mediator
She is ideologically close to Donald Trump and sought his political closeness early on. As prime minister of the EU's third-largest economy, she has been given an important mediating role in conflicts between the EU and the US.
She called Trump's request for Greenland a "mistake." That's why she said: "There are many things I disagree with Trump on. If I disagree, I tell him."
She also maintains an independent stance on Ukraine and has advocated for support for that country.
Nigel Farage: Trump's British hope
Polls in the UK are predicting a victory for the Reform UK party. Its leader, Nigel Farage, played a key role in the Brexit campaign and has long been a close ally of Donald Trump.
However, he called Trump's ambitions regarding Greenland “excessive.” Interestingly, Trump's former advisor Elon Musk supported far-right activist Tommy Robinson instead of Farage.
Karol Navrocki: Disappointed
Politicians from the Law and Justice (PiS) party were seen as model students of Donald Trump. While the liberal and pro-European Donald Tusk now governs in Warsaw, the president has been replaced by conservative Karol Nawrocki, who was nominated by PiS and demonstratively received by Trump at the White House during the campaign.
Trump has increasingly questioned whether the US would actually defend NATO countries like Poland in the event of a Russian attack, despite its high defense spending. His pro-Russian stance has been very poorly received in Poland.
Marine Le Pen: A proud Frenchwoman keeps her distance
Marine Le Pen of the National Rally wants to succeed Emmanuel Macron in the 2027 elections. She described Trump's victory in 2016 as "good news for France," but was significantly more reserved after his new victory.
She called his suspension of military aid to Ukraine “cruel.” A court ruling – which she appealed – banned her from holding public office.
RN's alternative candidate, Jordan Bardella, also called Trump's threats regarding tariffs and Greenland "unacceptable" and said that Trump is "not a role model" for him.
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