Budapest, Hungary —
In recent decades, the United States and Russia have rarely backed the same candidate in a foreign election. Hungary’s Viktor Orbán was an exception. But as it turned out, they backed the loser.
For the White House, Orbán – a lodestar for right-wing populists – was seen as key to its push for a more nationalist, “like-minded” Europe. For the Kremlin, Orbán was the chief wrecker of the European Union’s efforts to arm Ukraine and wean itself off Russian fossil fuels.
But now, US President Donald Trump and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will have to make do without their ally in Budapest. Orbán’s Fidesz government suffered a thumping loss as…