American Secretary of State Marco Rubio begins a visit to Slovakia and Hungary on Sunday to strengthen ties with pro-Trump leaders.

Marco Rubio, the American Secretary of State, will make a two-day visit to Slovakia and Hungary to strengthen bilateral relations, considering the close ties of conservative leaders in these countries with President Donald Trump. During the visit, Rubio will discuss energy cooperation and NATO commitments, highlighting the importance of these countries as allies of the United States. Rubio will meet with Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Hungarian leader Viktor Orban, both of whom are critical of the European Union and maintain relations with Moscow, including the continuation of Russian gas purchases. Fico has also described the EU as being in a "deep crisis" and praised Trump's policies. Regarding defense spending, Slovakia and Hungary have reached the minimum threshold of 2% of GDP, but Fico has refused to increase this percentage, in contrast to Trump's demands. Additionally, Slovakia recently signed an agreement with the United States for nuclear cooperation, suggesting an openness to American investments in this sector.