BUDAPEST/BANJA LUKA: US Vice President JD Vance lashed out on Tuesday at what he called “disgraceful” European Union interference in Hungary’s election, even as he openly endorsed Prime Minister Viktor Orban, a close ally of both President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, days before the vote.

Vance’s visit to Budapest came ahead of Sunday’s election, which independent public opinion polls show Orban is likely to lose. The trip — and the rare endorsement by a sitting US official — underscored how crucial Trump deems the veteran Hungarian nationalist’s reelection.

The visit broke with the norms of prior US presidential administrations of not openly campaigning in foreign elections, especially for a government that has maintained close ties with Putin. It was not immediately clear whether Vance’s public support would strengthen Orban’s candidacy.

Nonetheless, the trip cast Vance in what has become a familiar role — scolding Brussels at a time of increasing transatlantic tension over Trump’s war on Iran, criticism of Ukraine, threats to withdraw from the Nato alliance and stated desire to take control of Greenland from Denmark.

‘Europe is a bit of a mess’, says Donald Trump Jr.

“What has happened in the midst of this election campaign is one of the worst examples of foreign election interference that I’ve ever seen or ever even read about,” Vance told a press conference.

“The bureaucrats in Brussels have tried to destroy the economy of Hungary. They have tried to make Hungary less energy-independent. They have tried to drive up costs for Hungarian consumers, and they’ve done it all because they hate this guy (Orban).” Since Russia invaded Ukraine, the European Union has tried to drastically cut its use of Russian oil and gas, a shift Budapest has staunchly resisted.

A European Commission spokesperson said, “Going back to importing from Russia — a greatly unreliable supplier that is waging an atrocious war against Ukraine — would be a strategic mistake.” “Elections are the sole choice of the citizens,” the spokesperson added. Vance has previously drawn criticism in Europe, notably with a 2025 speech in Munich that accused many of the continent’s governments of censoring free speech and failing to control immigration.

Trump Jr visits Bosnia’s Serb Republic

President Donald Trump’s eldest son visited Bosnia’s Serb Republic on Tuesday, a trip widely seen as a gesture of support for its ousted pro-Russian leader Milorad Dodik, during which he criticised the European Union as “a little bit of a mess”.

Donald Trump Jr. travelled to the Serb entity’s de facto capital, Banja Luka, as the guest of Dodik’s son Igor. The visit coincided with remarks by US Vice President JD Vance in Budapest, where he accused the European Union of meddling in an election in Hungary.

“The European Union has been a little bit of a mess,” Trump Jr. said during a closed panel discussion with region’s political leaders and business figures. He added that he had heard from business people around the world who described Europe as “a disaster”.

“But it’s a disaster they feel also needs to be fixed because of the impact that it does have on the values and Western civilisation,” said Trump Jr., who is executive vice president of the Trump Organisation, which he runs alongside his younger brother Eric. The Serb entity is one of two autonomous regions that make up Bosnia, alongside the Bosniak-Croat Federation, under the 1995 Dayton peace accords brokered by the US to end the 1992-95 war that killed about 100,000 people and displaced some two million.

Published in Dawn, April 8th, 2026