Putin hosts Orban in Moscow, says Russia-Hungary relations at historical high
Russian President Vladimir Putin welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow on Nov. 28, praising the European leader for a "balanced" stance on the war in Ukraine.
The two leaders are meeting to discuss energy cooperation and peace talks on Ukraine amid a new U.S.-backed push for a settlement.
Orban, widely regarded as the most Kremlin-friendly leader in the EU, has repeatedly criticized and obstructed aid to Kyiv while deepening economic ties with Moscow amid the ongoing war.
The relationship between Russia and Hungary is "the best they have ever been" in their history, Putin declared, as the two met for talks accompanied by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, and Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.
"Energy security, and affordable, low energy prices in the winter in Hungary — that's why we went to Washington, and that's why I'm going to Moscow now too," Orban said on Facebook ahead of the trip.
Orban met with Trump in Washington on Nov. 7, where he managed to secure a temporary waiver of U.S. sanctions against the Russian energy sector. Budapest has long resisted pressure to reduce dependency on Russian oil and gas, arguing it ensures affordable energy for Hungarian consumers.
Orban reiterated his readiness to host the peace talks on Ukraine, even as plans for a summit in Budapest between Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump have been scrapped.
The U.S. and Russian presidents were set to meet in Hungary's capital to discuss a path toward ending the all-out war in Ukraine, ongoing for nearly four years.
After U.S. and Russian diplomats failed to find common ground in preparatory talks, Trump announced that the summit had been canceled for now.
Putin claimed that it was Trump who proposed the summit in Budapest during their phone call on Oct. 16.
"He immediately said: we have good relations with Hungary, you have good relations with Viktor (Orban), I suggest this option," Putin said.
The Hungarian strongman previously met with Putin in Moscow last July, being one of the few European leaders to do so amid Russian aggression in Ukraine.
Last week, Orban reportedly voiced opposition to continued EU support for Ukraine unless the bloc supports a 28-point peace plan backed by Trump, which imposes harsh conditions on Kyiv.
