US chargé d'affaires Robert Palladino in a Budapest conference said the US wants Europe to step up and contribute more significantly to Ukraine’s defence, and “we want a Europe that is not dependent on Moscow or Beijing. We support a Europe that is strong, sovereign, and energy-independent. This means putting an end to economic and energy entanglements with regimes that threaten our shared security.”

Speaking at the Budapest Energy and Security Talks organised by Equilibrium Institute, the US diplomat sent a clear message which could have relevance for countries like Hungary, which has remained reliable on Russian energy and deepened economic and political ties with China.

Palladino continued: "And let me be frank, it would be difficult for the United States to deepen relations with partners who are simultaneously deepening ties with our adversaries.

“Many of our allies have responded positively to our renewed commitment and our focus on collective security. Hungary is among them. The foreign minister’s recent discussions with European leaders reflect this natural and welcome cooperation,” he added.

Palladino also called for a negotiated ceasefire in Ukraine as the first step towards a "just and lasting peace," echoing the Trump administration’s emphasis on diplomacy and national sovereignty over "endless wars."

Hungary’s leadership, he noted, had reacted positively to the renewed US focus on transatlantic ties. However, friction remains, particularly over defence spending. Trump has floated a proposal for NATO allies to raise military expenditure to 5% of GDP, a target Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has described as an economic “lung shot”.  Hungary currently meets the 2% NATO benchmark.

Chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee Zsolt Nemeth, one of the few Atlanticists in the Orban government, said the 5% threshold should be understood politically, as Europe assumes full responsibility for its own defence.

The conference also featured former Polish president and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Lech Walesa, who received a warm welcome. The 81-year-old former Solidarity leader publicly criticised Viktor Orbán’s stance on Ukraine and Russia, expressing disappointment over the Hungarian prime minister’s trajectory. "I helped Viktor Orban a lot, and what I’m hearing now, I don’t like at all," Wałęsa told independent media.

Wearing a Ukrainian badge in a clear show of support, Walesa stressed that EU membership for Ukraine was essential and "excluding Ukraine is impossible". Walesa avoided blanket judgments, but suggested Orban would eventually be held accountable: "You too will get rid of them. The Hungarian prime minister will have to answer for his actions."

He also issued a scathing attack on Marcin Romanowski, the former Polish deputy justice minister who fled to Hungary and received asylum despite calls by Warsaw to extradite him.

Romanowski is facing multiple criminal charges in Poland, including involvement in an organised crime group and misappropriation of public funds.

Despite a European arrest warrant issued by Polish authorities, Hungary justified its decision by raising concerns over the fairness of legal proceedings in Poland, according to Bartosz Lewandowski, who is representing Romanowski.

The Polish lawmaker for the Law and Justice (PiS)  is now employed by the government-aligned Center for Fundamental Rights, the same GONGO, which is behind CPAC to be held later this month in Budapest.

"Romanowski is a thief, a criminal," said Wałęsa, calling for his extradition. "Tell me where he is, and I’ll take him home myself."