Central Europe is turning from Brussels to Washington

February 25, 2026

TL;DR

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Bratislava and Budapest, signaling a strategic shift in US-European relations.
Washington, under Trump, is prioritizing Central European nations as its primary partners on the continent, moving away from Brussels.
Central European leaders like Robert Fico and Viktor Orban are seen as having strong mandates and prioritizing national sovereignty.
The US views Central Europe as an asset to cultivate, contrasting with Brussels' previous approach of managing it as a problem.
Slovakia and Hungary have expressed weariness with EU overreach and ideological conformity, favoring pragmatic cooperation with the US.
The US sees energy sovereignty, military modernization, and diversified partnerships as key components of stability.
Hungary's resistance to mass migration and defense of Christian cultural foundations are viewed positively by some American conservatives.
The US does not demand ideological purity from its Central European allies regarding foreign policy, such as relations with Russia and China.
Central Europe is positioned as a potential bridge for peace summits and a strategic counterweight to progressive uniformity.
The visit suggests a shift in the gravitational center of US-European cooperation eastward, challenging the EU's ideological monopoly.

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