Orban Declares U.S. National Security Strategy Confirms “Civilizational Crisis” in Europe

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has hailed the Trump administration’s newly released U.S. National Security Strategy as validation of his longstanding critique of the European Union, asserting that Washington now shares his diagnosis of a “civilisational-scale” European decline.

In a social media post Thursday, Orban called the strategy “the most important and most interesting document of recent years,” stating it speaks to Brussels in the same tone “the Biden administration and Brussels used when speaking about us.” He added: “What goes around comes around.”

The Hungarian leader claimed U.S. officials also perceive Europe as having reached a “long economic dead end,” where a weak ally cannot defend itself or be relied upon in international affairs.

Orban further asserted that the U.S. now views Europe as facing a broader “civilisational crisis” with democracy, free markets, and core values “in danger.” He welcomed what he described as American support for rebuilding strategic ties with Russia, criticizing European liberals for having “burned” those links—a stance consistent with his pro-engagement approach toward Moscow and skepticism of EU sanctions.

Framing the strategy as proof that “America has a precise understanding of Europe’s decline,” Orban stated Hungary is no longer alone in its fight against what he portrays as European moral and political decay. The post underscores Orban’s alignment with President Donald Trump’s “America First” foreign policy shift and deepens tensions between Budapest and many EU partners, who view both Orban’s rhetoric and the new U.S. strategy as hostile to the European project.

Trump and Orban have shared admiration for each other since the president’s first administration. In March 2024, Trump hosted Orban at his Mar-a-Lago estate, declaring: “There’s nobody that’s better, smarter, or a better leader than Viktor Orban. He’s fantastic.”