 "Orban defies EU as he pledges continued Russian oil purchases in meeting with Putin")
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban defied the European Union on Friday by assuring Russian President Vladimir Putin that Hungary will continue purchasing Russian oil, during talks in Moscow held amid renewed diplomatic efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Orban, who has led the EU and Nato member state since 2010, has maintained close ties with the Kremlin throughout the conflict while frequently criticising neighbouring Ukraine.
Friday’s meeting marked his fourth encounter with Putin since the invasion — an engagement likely to anger Brussels, which has urged member states to cut their reliance on Russian energy and seeks a stronger role in shaping any future peace deal.
“We have not given up cooperation (with Russia) in any area, regardless of any external pressure,” AFP quoted Orban as telling Putin.
“I would like to reiterate that energy supplies from Russia form the basis of Hungary’s energy supply now and will remain so in the future,” he added.
Orban recently announced he would challenge the EU in court over its decision to phase out the bloc’s remaining Russian gas imports, a move that underscores Hungary’s heavy reliance on Russian energy.
“We greatly appreciate the reliability and predictability of these supplies,” Orban said during his Moscow visit.
Putin, in turn, thanked Orban for what he described as Hungary’s “balanced position” on Ukraine and for maintaining ties with Russia “despite all the difficulties.”
He said relations between Budapest and Moscow were grounded in “pragmatism.”
Ahead of his trip, Orban — who faces re-election next year — said he was travelling to Moscow to “ensure Hungary’s energy supply is secured for the winter and the following year at an affordable price.”
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View AllThe Hungarian leader, 62, has sought to cast himself as a potential mediator in the Ukraine war and reiterated that Hungary was “ready to serve as a venue for peace negotiations.”
A planned summit between Putin and former US President Donald Trump in Budapest last October was expected to bolster that image, but the meeting never took place.
European leaders slam Orban
European leaders criticised Orbán on Friday for travelling to Moscow to meet Putin.
According to a Politico report, in Berlin, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Orbán had gone to the Kremlin “without a European mandate,” adding he was unsurprised given the Hungarian leader’s history of acting alone.
Merz also doubted the trip would advance efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Orban “has his own ideas about how to end this war. So far, they have not been realised,” he said, questioning whether the Hungarian premier “will be more successful this time than last time.”
Orbán previously visited Moscow in July 2024, casting that trip as a “peace mission.”
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob echoed Merz’s criticism, saying he hoped the visit would “not cause any major damage,” adding, “We do not expect any benefits or advantages from this visit.”
With inputs from agencies
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