Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban considers the U.S. as one of his country's top adversaries, according to a leaked assessment by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the assessment was part of a larger trove of leaked documents that provided details about the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. According to the March 2 CIA update, Orban's inclusion of the U.S. as a top adversary in a Feb. 22 political strategy meeting "constitutes an escalation of the level of anti-American rhetoric."
The CIA note listed the U.S. Embassy in Budapest as the source of the information, raising the possibility of Washington keeping tabs on the ruling party's meeting – and its allies in general. It also underscored the depth of a longtime rift between the U.S. and Hungary, with the latter increasingly defending its links with Russia and China despite being a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
While the WSJ was unable to independently authenticate the CIA assessment and the rest of the leaked documents, it said they contain enough detail to give them credibility. But U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) officials say some of the documents appear to have been altered.
In a statement, the U.S. Department of State said both the DoD and American intelligence agencies were reviewing and assessing the authenticity of the leaked documents.
"U.S. officials are engaging with allies and partners at high levels over this, including to reassure them of our commitment to safeguarding intelligence and fidelity to our security partnerships. As a matter of principle, intelligence matters like collection methods are not something we would ever talk about publicly," the statement said.
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Orban himself did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, a representative of the U.S. Embassy in Budapest could not be reached.
Budapest strengthens Eastern ties as Western links fray
Since the onset of the Russia-Ukraine war in February 2022, Hungary has expressed broad skepticism of the West's priorities. These include weaning off dependence on Russian energy and sending military aid to Ukraine.
However, the rhetoric in the Feb. 22 Fidesz meeting shows the extent of the rift between Budapest and Washington. This is because Hungary refuses to follow the West in its virtue signaling, choosing to prioritize its national interests. As its links with the West are fraying, Hungary is securing new ties with Russia and China.
During an April 11 speech in the Russian capital Moscow, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto confirmed a new energy deal with the Kremlin. Under the new deal, Budapest can import volumes of Russian gas beyond the limits agreed to in a long-term contract signed last year. (Related: Anti-Russia sanctions 'killing' EU economy – Orban.)
Aside from Moscow, Hungary is also bolstering ties with China. It has also opposed Western efforts to recruit it in a collective against Beijing, which has paid off for Budapest. Earlier in 2023, China's top diplomat Wang Yi met with Orban amid U.S. concerns over growing Chinese investment in the country.
Hungary was the first nation in the European Union to sign an infrastructure development memorandum with China, in line with the latter's Belt and Road Initiative. In turn, Beijing financed and built a rail line connecting Hungary to Serbia.
Aside from this, Hungary has hosted Huawei Technologies' largest supply center outside China despite U.S. protestations. It has also expelled the Central European University (CEU) in Budapest funded by globalist billionaire George Soros. In place of CEU, Orban agreed to host the Shanghai-based Fudan University.
The Central European nation's pivot toward China paid off. In one example, Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd announced the construction of a €7 billion ($7.74 billion) battery factory in Hungary's second-largest city of Debrecen.
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Watch Gabor "Gabe" Zolna talks about Hungary's refusal to get involved in the Russia-Ukraine war below.
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