Putin, open to a meeting with Donald Trump hosted by Viktor Orban. Hungarian Prime Minister, rare visit to Moscow

Russian President Vladimir Putin received Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow on Friday, who made one of the rare visits of a leader from an EU and NATO member country to Russia, reports Reuters. The meeting took place in the context of diplomatic efforts regarding the conflict in Ukraine and Hungary's heavy dependence on Russian energy.

Vladimir Putin received Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Moscow on Friday. PHOTO: AFP

Putin told Orban he was still open to the idea of ​​Budapest hosting a meeting between him and US President Donald Trump, after such a summit had been planned for October but was canceled by the US leader, who said he did not want “a waste of time” without guarantees of results.

Viktor Orban, in his 14th meeting with the Kremlin leader, has maintained close ties with Russia despite the invasion of Ukraine, which has prompted 19 rounds of European sanctions. The Hungarian prime minister opposes Western military aid to Kiev and said the visit to Moscow was aimed at detailed talks on oil and gas supplies, which are critical to Hungary's energy security.

In parallel, Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff, is due to arrive in Moscow next week for talks with Putin, in a new mediation effort. “We very much hope that the peace proposals on the table will lead to a truce and peace,” declared Orban. He also stated on Facebook that he is in Moscow to ensure that Hungary will have enough energy for this winter and next year.

The United States recently granted Hungary a waiver from sanctions to use Russian oil and gas after Orban asked for delays following a friendly meeting with Trump in Washington. At the same time, Budapest signed an agreement with the US on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy, to buy fuel and storage technology for the Paks I plant – built by Russia. Meanwhile, Rosatom's Paks II expansion project remains behind schedule.

According to the Hungarian Foreign Ministry, Hungary imported 8.5 million tons of crude oil and more than 7 billion cubic meters of natural gas from Russia this year. Putin praised Hungary's stance on the war in Ukraine as “balanced” and said that although bilateral trade fell by 23% last year due to “external restrictions”, it would increase by 7% in 2025.