JD Vance due to visit Hungary on April 7-8 ahead of key election

US Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to visit Hungary on April 7-8, ​two sources familiar with the plan said on Wednesday, ‌ahead of what could be right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban's toughest election since taking power in a 2010 landslide, Report informs via Reuters.

Orban has been endorsed by ​US President Donald Trump.

Reuters reported last week that Vance's ​trip was meant to be a show of support ⁠for Orban, who most polls suggest is trailing a ​center-right challenger ahead of an April 12 election.

Plan for Vance's visit ​could still change due to developments linked to the US-Israeli war on Iran, one of the sources cautioned, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

The ​visit would follow Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to ​Budapest in February to publicly back Orban, who is grappling with a ‌weak ⁠economy, an energy price shock and a rival seen as a viable alternative.

Orban, one of Trump's closest allies in Europe, has long been at loggerheads with the EU over a range ​of issues, including ​Ukraine. Defying ⁠Brussels, he has maintained cordial ties with Moscow, refuses to send weapons to Ukraine, and says ​Kyiv can never join the European Union.

Trump endorsed ​him ⁠last month, calling him "a truly strong and powerful Leader" in a social media post. On Tuesday, Trump posted another supportive statement ⁠on Truth ​Social, calling on Hungarians to "GET OUT ​AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORBAN".