LAST HOUR Putin-Orbán friendship in the Kremlin. The Russian leader welcomes Hungary's “balanced position” in the Ukrainian problem / What the Hungarian prime minister proposed
The Hungarian prime minister, who has maintained friendly relations with the Kremlin leader despite the war across the border, arrived in Moscow on Friday for talks with Vladimir Putin on oil and gas supplies and the war in Ukraine, Reuters and Kommersant write.
Hungary remains willing to provide a venue for Russian-American negotiations, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Moscow on Friday, during a meeting with the Russian leader in the Kremlin.
“Our meeting today provides an opportunity to confirm that Hungary is willing to provide a platform for such negotiations,” Orbán said at the start of the meeting with the Russian leader.
“We are willing to contribute to the successful completion of this process,” he added.
Vladimir Putin replied that he would still be happy to choose Budapest as the meeting place with US President Donald Trump.
Putin and Trump agreed in October to meet in the Hungarian capital, but Trump later canceled the meeting, saying he did not want to waste time.
Putin met with Orbán in Moscow on Friday to discuss Hungary's supply of oil and natural gas, as well as peace efforts in Ukraine.
“We know your balanced position on the Ukrainian issue,” the Russian leader told the Hungarian prime minister.
Budapest called on the EU to back the pro-Russia peace plan and lobbied against financial and military support for Kiev, while criticizing sanctions against Moscow.
“We can hardly avoid this”
Orbán previously stressed that in Moscow he would discuss Hungary's supply of oil and natural gas, as well as peace efforts in Ukraine.
The Hungarian prime minister has maintained close ties with Moscow despite the war in neighboring Ukraine, and Hungary remains heavily dependent on Russian energy despite efforts by the European Union to reduce that dependence.
Hungary imported 8.5 million tons of oil and more than 7 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia this year, the country's foreign ministry said in a statement on Friday.
Orbán revealed his plan to meet Putin in a video interview on his Facebook page, adding: “I'm going (to Moscow) to make sure Hungary's energy supply is secured for the winter and next year.”
When asked if peace efforts in Ukraine would also be on the agenda, Orbán replied: “We can hardly avoid it.”
US sanctions waiver offered by Trump
The United States granted Hungary a waiver from sanctions this month to use Russian oil and gas after Orbán pushed for a delay during a friendly meeting with President Donald Trump in Washington.
Hungary has also signed a nuclear energy cooperation pact with the United States.
The deal calls for Hungary to buy nuclear fuel and technology from the US to store spent fuel at a Russian-built nuclear power plant known as Paks I.
Russia's Rosatom is building an expansion of the plant, a 2014 project that has suffered significant delays.
Hungarian pressures in favor of the peace plan favorable to Russia
In recent days, Hungary has pressured European leaders to approve the initial 28-point peace plan proposed by the US, a plan considered to be very favorable to Moscow.
Hungary urges EU to “unconditionally” support 28-point peace plan for Ukraine / Europe firmly rejected initial proposals
In a letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday, obtained by Politico, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán himself asked the EU to sign the terms of the 28-point US proposal, which would see Ukraine relinquish territory and halve its armed forces, in exchange for giving Washington a 50% share of the profits from the country's reconstruction.
“Europeans must immediately and unconditionally support the US peace initiative,” Orbán wrote. “In addition to supporting the US president, we must launch autonomous and direct negotiations with Russia without delay,” he added.
At the same time, Orbán stated in the letter that Hungary “does not support the granting by the European Union of any additional financial aid to Ukraine under any form” and “does not agree with taking such a decision on behalf of and within the EU.”
