Readout of the Vice President’s Call with Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary

The Vice President spoke this morning with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.  The Vice President congratulated Hungary on its 15-year anniversary in NATO and noted the United States’ steadfast commitment to the Alliance's collective defense under Article 5.  The two leaders discussed the situation in Ukraine and agreed that Russia would face further costs for supporting the actions of armed separatists in Ukraine, in direct contravention of the April 17 Geneva Joint Statement.  The Vice President and Prime Minister discussed the need to strengthen the energy security of the Euro-Atlantic community with a more coordinated and strategic approach.  The Vice President also reiterated the view that the United States and its partners should be prepared to impose sanctions on individuals and entities operating in certain sectors of the Russian economy if Moscow further intervenes militarily in Ukraine.