Claim restatement: Secretary of State Marco Rubio intended to discuss
Russian energy purchases with
Hungary and Slovakia during his meetings in those countries. The purpose was to address reductions or changes in
Hungarian and Slovak energy purchases of Russian energy, as cited in the article’s framing. The claim is tied to
Rubio’s travel itinerary and stated conversations during the visit, not to a published completion outcome.
Evidence of planned progress: The State Department announced Rubio’s travel to
Germany,
Slovakia, and Hungary, with dates in mid-February 2026 and a focus on energy diversification and security cooperation (official travel announcement). This establishes that high-level discussions, including energy policy, were on the agenda for Hungary and Slovakia (State Department press release).
Context from reputable outlets: Coverage around
Rubio’s visit highlighted meetings with Hungarian and Slovak officials to advance shared regional interests and energy diversification, including a stated emphasis on energy partnerships. France24 summarized Rubio’s schedule as including talks on the
US-Hungary energy partnership during the
Budapest leg (France24).
Progress and milestones: As of the current date (Feb 13, 2026), the trip had been publicly announced but the meetings in
Bratislava and Budapest were scheduled for the following days (Feb 15–16). No official readouts or post-meeting statements confirming outcomes are yet available in the cited sources, so no completion can be verified at this time.
Completion status assessment: Given the absence of readouts or outcomes before the meetings occur, the claim remains in_progress. The completion condition—Rubio specifically raising and discussing reducing or changing Russian energy purchases during official meetings—depends on subsequent official statements or readouts after the encounters.
Reliability of sources: The primary verifiable items come from the U.S. State Department (official travel notice) and corroborating coverage from France24 describing the energy-diplomacy angle. These sources are considered high-quality and appropriate for confirming planned diplomatic discussions and policy focus, while noting that post-meeting outcomes were not yet published.
Incentives and interpretation: The travel brief signals
U.S. diplomatic intent to press allies on energy diversification away from
Russia, aligning with stated U.S. policy goals. The actual impact will hinge on readouts from Hungary and Slovakia and any subsequent policy shifts or sanctions-related actions.