Orban of Hungary visits Putin once more in Moscow defying EU allies
Orban of Hungary visits Putin once more in Moscow, defying EU allies.
Days before Russia undertakes negotiations on a US attempt to end the crisis in Ukraine, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
Orban is regarded as one of Putin's closest European allies, and by weakening cohesion against Russia, he has repeatedly infuriated his NATO and EU colleagues.
Putin told Orban, "We are aware of your balanced position on the situation in Ukraine," in comments broadcast by Russian official television.
Putin also expressed gratitude to the prime minister of Hungary for suggesting Budapest as a possible location for a summit between the United States and Russia with President Donald Trump.
"I suggest this option because we have good relations with Hungary, you have good relations with Viktor, and I do too," Trump declared right away. We gladly agreed, of course," Putin added.
Last month, plans for a "peace summit" in Budapest were put on hold, allegedly due to the Russian side's unwillingness to give in to Putin's maximalist demands for an end to the conflict.
For the first time in fifteen years, polls indicate that the Hungarian leader's Fidesz party may lose the April legislative elections. His chances of winning reelection might increase if he hosted a conference between Trump and Putin in Budapest.
Orban, who last travelled to Moscow in July 2024, has consistently opposed EU efforts to stop importing Russian gas and oil into Europe.
He described Friday's visit as the second part of a plan to guarantee Russian energy supply for Hungary, Slovakia, and Serbia during winter.
He was able to get an exemption from US fuel restrictions earlier this month in Washington, but only for as long as he is in office.
Orban stated on Hungarian state radio last week that "Europe has decided to go to war in Ukraine" despite his claims to have been on the side of peace since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
He has been a staunch supporter of Trump's 28-point peace plan to end the war, and the Orban administration and pro-Orban media have accused EU leaders of "war-mongering" for attempting to modify the plan to accommodate Ukraine's objections during the frenzied negotiations that followed.
Leading Russian officials, including Putin assistant Yuri Ushakov, who is a member of Russia's negotiating team with the United States, joined Orban and Putin in the Kremlin.
The Hungarian leader urged the EU to begin direct discussions with the Kremlin and asked for immediate, unconditional peace talks in a letter this week to Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. He emphasised his rejection of using frozen Russian assets to finance Ukrainian defence and his resistance to more EU funding for Ukraine.
What Orban of Hungary did and did not receive from Trump
Trump's playbook was inspired by the "strongman" prime minister, whose authority is also eroding.
Prior to meetings with the US in Moscow, Putin intensifies his demands for Ukrainian territory.
Orban is now concentrating on Russian energy as there is little indication that Russia is going to make concessions on Ukraine.
Hungary will purchase less of both from Russia as a result of agreements he made in Washington to purchase US nuclear fuel and LNG, which may irritate his Russian hosts.
Orban claims that next month, heating costs would triple in the absence of agreements with the US and Russia.
The EU is pressuring Hungary to stop importing any Russian energy by 2027, and Hungary will probably utilise any deal reached in Moscow to keep defying Brussels.
Currently, Russia provides Hungary with 100% of its nuclear fuel and more than 80% of its oil and gas. The overall amount of Hungarian commerce contributes about $5 billion to the Russian budget each year.
It seems easy to make a "deal" in Moscow.
Similar to Trump, Putin has stated that he wants Orban to win the election in April of next year, so both parties would benefit from another diplomatic "triumph" for Orban.
Putin personally applauded Orban at this year's Valdai Forum in Sochi on September 29. He also praised "nationally-oriented political forces" that are gaining traction in Europe.
"If these forces in Europe continue to grow stronger, then Europe will be reborn," Putin stated.
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