Palladino joined Deputy Foreign Minister Levente Magyar at a Tuesday evening event held by the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs to assess the November 7 meeting between Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump in Washington.

Notably, neither speaker addressed the controversy surrounding Hungary’s exemption from sanctions on Russian oil imports, despite conflicting statements from the two governments on the matter.

Following the Washington summit, both Prime Minister Orbán and Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó claimed that Hungary received an indefinite exemption from the sanctions. However, major international news agencies reported a one-year exemption, a timeline that was later confirmed to the Hungarian news site Telex by a White House official.

Six days after the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stated that Hungary was granted a one-year exemption because the immediate implementation of the sanctions would have caused disproportionate economic damage to the country.

Tuesday's event would have provided an ideal opportunity to clarify the situation, but no questions were allowed, and both Chargé d’Affaires Palladino and Deputy Foreign Minister Magyar avoided the topic.

Instead, at the event held in the Lónyay-Hatvany Villa — a building recently renovated by a foundation of the Hungarian National Bank, repurchased by the state, and then transferred free of charge to the Batthyány Lajos Foundation which coordinates government funding — the focus was solely on praising the success of the summit and the excellence of Hungarian-American relations.

For instance, Palladino echoed a Trump campaign slogan, saying, “I am America First, and Levente is Hungary First.”

The discussion also touched on sovereignty, family values, small modular reactors, and the LNG agreement, with Levente Magyar calling the Washington summit "historic."

Gladden J. Pappin, the American president of the organizing Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, highlighted that Orbán was seated next to Trump at the White House ceremonial lunch. In his closing remarks, Palladino assessed his time in Hungary, noting a significant improvement in the relationship.

Trade has also grown considerably, with nearly 1,500 American companies operating in the country and employing thousands of people.

The outgoing Chargé d’Affaires, who will soon be leaving his post and the country, expressed regret that he hadn’t been able to travel much but stated his intention to return for a more thorough exploration of Hungary.

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